Hi
Welcome to the next edition of the ANCAPStar – a round-up of the latest news and updates from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
ANCAP provides consumers with independent and transparent advice and information on the level of occupant and pedestrian protection provided by vehicles in the most common types of crashes. Our member organisations include the Australian and New Zealand automobile clubs, Australian Federal, State & Territory Governments, the New Zealand Government, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation (UK).
Meet all of our member organisations.
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Latest Media Releases.
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05 November 2012
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Airbags Proven Once Again to Save Lives
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The effectiveness of airbags in protecting vehicle occupants from death and serious injury has again been validated following an evaluation conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC).
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23 October 2012
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ANCAP Safety Rating to Determine Insurance & Finance
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ANCAP commends the announcement by the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia to only insure or finance cars which have been rated by ANCAP and awarded an ANCAP safety rating of either 4 or 5 stars.
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18 October 2012
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5 Star Performers Launched at Australian International Motor Show
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ANCAP has today unveiled its presence at the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) releasing 5 star results for the new Toyota Corolla hatch, Honda CR-V and Holden Colorado 7 SUV while showcasing another of its 5 star performers to motor show visitors - the Hyundai i45.
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ANCAP at the Australian International Motor Show.
With over 135,000 visitors walking through the halls of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre over 11 days last month, ANCAP was proud to be positioned amongst 27 major manufacturers at the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).
The show was held from 18-28 October and the majority of show visitors stopped at the ANCAP stand to learn more about the crash test process that sits behind the 1-5 star ANCAP safety rating system.
This was ANCAP's first experience as an exhibitor at AIMS where the 5 star rated Hyundai i45 was the key feature of the ANCAP stand. It wasn't however a pristine, showroom-detailed model - rather one that has undergone an ANCAP frontal offset crash test.
Experienced ANCAP technical and support staff were on hand to answer questions; show consumers how to check the safety rating of their current or prospective car; explain the future of ANCAP safety testing and vehicle safety technologies; and encourage consumers to "accept nothing less" than 5 star safety when purchasing their next car.
Adding an element of interaction to the ANCAP stand were iPads which visitors could use to search ANCAP safety ratings as well as become familiar with the ANCAP website and the array of crash test information it features. Two plasma screens displaying actual crash test vision of the i45 and other 1 to 5 star models, as well as short videos explaining various Safety Assist Technologies (SAT) also featured.
Following the immense success of its presence at the show, ANCAP is planning its next AIMS appearance.
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Global NCAP Expert Technical Working Group.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) met with crash testing experts from around the world in September to discuss car safety tests and assessment programs across world markets.
Convened by Global NCAP
- established as part of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020), representatives from Australia & New Zealand (ANCAP), Europe (Euro NCAP), Japan (JNCAP), Latin America (Latin NCAP), and Malaysia (ASEAN NCAP) met to
review current vehicle safety tests and discuss opportunities for the future improved alignment of test procedures. The United States' National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also provided input to the discussions.
The Global NCAP Expert Technical Working Group meeting reviewed existing test objectives, types, parameters and assessment methods as well as the integration of safety assist technologies into safety ratings; guidelines for best practice to assist New Car Assessment Programs (NCAP) in emerging markets; and the application and use of NCAP brands.
Delegates acknowledged that there are different areas of safety emphasis for different markets, and also considerable differences in the manufacturing quality, specification and safety standards of similar cars in different markets. There was recognition of the value of a common 'library' of tests, assessment methods and communications programs to assist in reducing duplication of testing and assist in the expansion of NCAPs in new emerging markets.
"This would provide a number of benefits to NCAPs, manufacturers and consumers alike," said Global NCAP Trustee and ANCAP Chairman, Mr Lauchlan McIntosh.
"Improved communications would provide greater exposure for each NCAP. For manufacturers selling to a global market, they would be encouraged to design and build their vehicles to world best safety standards in all markets. Consumers benefit from the greater number of vehicles with improved safety features which would assist in reducing death and injuries from road crashes."
In addition, with the recent introduction of many collision avoidance technologies, common testing and assessment methods would assist consumers to buy and hence manufacturers to equip new cars with these technologies across all markets," said Mr McIntosh.
The Global NCAP Expert Technical Working Group will continue its work on developing common interests over the coming months and build a program for detailed discussion at the Global NCAP Annual Meeting to be held in Seoul, South Korea in May 2013.
In parallel, a Global NCAP Communications Working Group will be proposed to assist in sharing ideas and resources, and strengthen the NCAP and associated public car safety testing and assessment brands.
The Global NCAP Expert Technical Working Group has proposed that it meet annually with ANCAP acting as the secretariat for this Group.
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Safety Testing Explained: Frontal Offset Test.
Forming a key component of vehicle safety ratings across the majority of New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) around the world, the 40% frontal offset crash test was the first test used by ANCAP when it commenced testing in 1992.
The frontal offset test assesses vehicle performance in terms of crashworthiness and occupant protection in the situation of a head-on crash with a vehicle of the same mass, travelling at the same speed, with a 40% overlap at impact.
The test vehicle is crashed into a deformable aluminium barrier at 64 km/h with crash test dummies placed in the two front seats and two rear seats. The dummies allow technical experts to assess the vehicles performance during the collision, and also assess the extent of injuries likely to be incurred by human occupants.
Vehicle structural integrity, forces on the occupants (kinematics), steering column movement, pedal movement and other factors are also taken into account in the assessment of injury risk. Factors that might hinder the extrication of occupants from the crashed vehicle also form part of the safety assessment.
The frontal offset test is scored out of 16 points with a minimum score of 12.5 points required in this test (combined with other test score minimums) to achieve the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating. In effect, performance in the frontal offset test accounts for approximately 43% of the overall ANCAP safety rating.
Frontal offset tests are conducted for ANCAP at Crashlab in Western Sydney.
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SA Promoting Vehicle Safety Technologies.
The South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) are continuing their efforts in the promotion of vehicle safety and collision avoidance technologies.
In a first for South Australia, private and public fleet buyers were given the chance to see and test the latest in vehicle safety technology at a Fleet Safety Drive Day held on pit straight at the Clipsal 500 circuit on 1 November 2012.
South Australian Minister for Road Safety, the Hon. Jennifer Rankine MP officially opened the event remarking, "Every single demonstration today is designed to prevent crashes, reduce injuries and save lives."
"The State Government is determined to reach the target of less than 80 fatalities [per year] by the end of the decade. A key component of that is encouraging adoption of the latest in vehicle safety and technology," Minister Rankin said.
A number of safety assist technologies (SAT) were available for participants to try out including Back Over Avoidance (BoA); Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB); and fatigue monitoring systems. The 3 star ANCAP safety rated Nissan Patrol Cab Chassis was also on display with ANCAP Councillor, Craig Newland, providing a presentation on future vehicle safety requirements as outlined in the ANCAP Rating Road Map 2012-2017.
Annual fleet sales in Australia represent around 50% of all new vehicle registrations and 75% of all Australian manufactured passenger vehicles produced each year. In 2010, 41% of new cars sold in SA achieved a 5 star ANCAP safety rating with the most recent 2012 figures indicating this has risen to exceed 60%.
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BHP Billiton Prohibits Bullbars and ROPS on 5 Star Vehicles.
Further to BHP Billiton's policy decision announced earlier this year that all new purchased or leased vehicles (as well as all contractor vehicles over time) must have a 5 star New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) safety rating, they have also prohibited the installation of aftermarket equipment, limiting future modifications to 5 star rated vehicles to signage and visibility requirements.
This decision was based on recent research at Crashlab commissioned by BHP Billiton to assess if bullbars and roll over protection systems (ROPS) contribute to an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
In its testing, four Toyota Hilux dual cabs were used - three of these vehicles were fitted with ROPS and one without. All four test vehicles were fitted with a steel bullbar. The tests undertaken were:
- frontal offset at 64 km/h
- side impact at 50 km/h
- corkscrew rollover at 75 km/h
- one vehicle with ROPS
- one vehicle without ROPS
The vehicle fitted with ROPS rolled 180 degrees onto its roof in the first corkscrew rollover test. The vehicle without ROPS rolled onto its side. The vehicle without ROPS was re-tested with 35kgs of ballast above the rear screen of the cab (to simulate the weight of ROPS at roof level) and rolled onto its roof.
For these vehicles and test configurations, the results showed:
- for the corkscrew rollover test the ROPS structure appeared to increase propensity for the vehicle to roll by increasing the centre of gravity height.
- ROPS did not eliminate roof crush over the front seated occupants and, for a rollover of this type and severity, the ROPS demonstrated limited potential to reduce the risk of serious injury to the front seat occupants.
- any ROPS structure which prevents the as-designed deployment of side curtain airbags for the front and rear seat occupants greatly increases the risk of serious head or brain injuries in side impacts (with trees, poles and other vehicles).
- the bullbar fitted to the frontal offset crash test vehicle caused intrusion into the footwell and displacement of pedals which was not present in the ANCAP test of the same vehicle without a bullbar.
BHP Billiton's Sustainability Report 2012 states, "We work actively with the road safety industry and key vehicle manufactures to ensure the most relevant safety technologies are adopted globally. Our decision to move to the highest NCAP safety rating will, by 2016, improve the safety rating of an estimated 50,000 vehicles a year in Australia alone, resulting in broad community benefits as safer vehicles appear on the road."
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Crash Test Provider Profile.
Andrew van den Berg
Manager - Vehicle Testing Laboratory
Centre for Automotive Safety Research, The University of Adelaide
How long have you worked here?
Nine years.
What does your role involve?
As the Laboratory Manager I am responsible for ensuring that the results we produce are of the highest quality and relevance for our customers. I am quite hands on when it comes to testing, from replacing damaged components to processing data and preparing reports.
What do you like most about your role?
I enjoy seeing the pedestrian safety in cars improve as the ANCAP rating becomes more and more important in vehicle choice. Occasionally we will offer visiting vehicle manufacturers suggestions for design improvements. It is very satisfying when we see the improvements in the next model we test, especially for models that are also sold in developing countries where a higher proportion of vehicle accidents involve pedestrians.
What is your most memorable crash test? Why?
My most memorable moment was when we tested the first car to achieve the top pedestrian rating. This was a number of years ago when the majority of vehicles were not performing all that well in the pedestrian tests. It was the Subaru Impreza.
What is the most important piece of safety advice you would give to motorists?
A small change in travel speed makes a big difference in impact energy. Lowering your speed can significantly reduce the risk of being involved and the severity of an accident. This is particularly important for pedestrians and can mean the difference between a close call and a trip to the hospital. Driving a car with a 5 star ANCAP safety rating will give you the best chance possible if you ever become unstuck.
What do you drive?
I mostly get around in a Mazda 323, but I drive the family around in a Toyota Prado.
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ANCAP Head On.
In 1992 Paul Keating was in The Lodge, Democrat Bill Clinton had swept to power in the US, Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit had introduced the world to grunge rock, and the Ford Falcon EB Series II was Australia’s best selling car.
Automotive safety, as we know it today, was still a pimple-faced, gangly adolescent. The indigenous Falcon had adopted ABS brakes on certain models, but a lap-sash seatbelt for its centre rear seat was still a year away. Even the Wheels Car of the Year-winning Ford Telstar and Mazda 626 twins featured a driver’s airbag and an adjustable steering column, but little else on base versions.
Clearly, it was a different time and place in terms of automotive safety, and it was into this environment that the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) was born.
The organisation traces its roots, albeit indirectly, to the pioneering US NCAP, established in 1978 by the powerful National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
According to ANCAP Chairman, Lauchlan McIntosh, it was the growing sense among Australian consumers that vehicles sold here were less safe than those sold Stateside that led to ANCAP’s formation.
Today, McIntosh sits at the head of an organisation that has become a powerful voice in automotive safety and a vital resource by which Australian and New Zealand consumers can compare the safety merits of new cars.
In the space of two decades the ANCAP five-star safety rating system, the cornerstone of what the organisation does, has gone from being a little known and even less understood curiosity, to a highly regarded accolade, prized by the auto industry and increasingly valued by consumers.
Excerpt from article by Ged Bulmer
Australian Automotive, October 2012
Click here to read the full article.
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Read All About It.
ANCAP's explanatory booklet has now been updated providing consumers, dealers and other interested parties with an outline of ANCAP's function; member organisations; injury outcomes based on star ratings; vehicle safety features; the range of ANCAP safety tests; the way in which ANCAP safety ratings are calculated; and the future direction of vehicle safety.
The booklet includes information on the two newest ANCAP tests - the whiplash test (introduced as part of ANCAP ratings from 1 January this year) and the roof crush test (to form part of ANCAP ratings from 2014). The whiplash test is conducted in two parts - a geometric measurement of the head restraint, and a dynamic test using the vehicle seat mounted to a test sled which simulates a rear-end crash equivalent to a stationary vehicle being hit at 32km/h. The roof crush test is conducted to ensure occupant survival space is maintained during a rollover crash. A solid metal plate is forced against the front corner of the roof at a constant, slow speed and the resistance force measured.
The booklet, titled Accept nothing less, can be viewed along with other ANCAP publications within the Media Centre page of the ANCAP website. Hard copies of the booklet are also available on request. Please email ancap@ancap.com.au for more information.
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Passive Safety.
Ever wondered what the term "passive safety" actually means?
Passive Safety is the term used in the automotive industry, by vehicle manufacturers, component manufacturers and regulation bodies to categorise technologies that form part of a vehicles safety systems. Outside of this arena - in the media and general public - passive safety is more commonly identified by the actual technologies such as:
- seat belts
- airbags
- SRS (Supplemental Restraints System)
- crumple zones
- head rests
- cargo barriers
- side intrusion bars
Passive safety can be defined as a series of countermeasures to protect and minimise the effect of an accident or impact on an occupant (and also pedestrians) after the event has occurred. Therefore, passive safety technologies do not prevent crash events from occurring, but rather, they work to protect and minimise the effect of the crash on the occupant and or pedestrian.
Another term commonly used in the automotive industry is "crashworthiness". In essence, this describes how a vehicles design and systems have been engineered to perform in crash scenarios. The effectiveness of the passive safety systems contributes significantly to the crashworthiness of the vehicle and is a measure of how well all of the individual technologies and systems are integrated and optimised to work harmoniously with each other. Crashworthiness is much more than just a list of safety technologies and products that are added to a vehicle.
From an industry perspective, the goal posts are always moving which drives advancement and development of technologies to improve the crashworthiness of vehicles and delivery of state of the art safety systems. This is achieved through many thousands of hours of research and development and testing for every vehicle platform launched and is not limited to passive safety.
Andrew Baldacchino, General Manager - APV Tech Centre
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Driving Safety in ASEAN.
Following the commissioning of its crash test laboratory in May, the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (ASEAN NCAP) based in Melaka, Malaysia will soon begin testing.
ASEAN NCAP has identified and purchased 10 vehicle models commonly sold across the ASEAN region for its first phase of official testing. Models include the Honda City, Hyundai i10, Nissan March (Micra) and Ford Fiesta as well the as Malaysian-built Proton Saga and Perodua MyVi. ASEAN NCAP will use the frontal offset test to determine a vehicle's safety rating - scored out of 16 points. As required by ANCAP, vehicles tested by ASEAN NCAP must be fitted with electronic stability control (ESC) in order to achieve a 5 star rating.
ASEAN NCAP's Development Manager, Mr Khairil Anwar, said they will be focussing their test program on those manufacturers which produce and sell vehicles to numerous markets worldwide, yet to the ASEAN market supply vehicles which often possess a lower level of safety in order to reduce production costs. A problem identified by another of the recently formed NCAPs - Latin NCAP.
"Usually, what the manufacturer does is to do a cost localisation - or cost down savings and try to take away the airbags, the ABS, all safety aspects of everything and sell it as cheap as possible," Mr Anwar said.
The imminent release of ASEAN NCAP safety ratings has already made a significant impact on the industry with car manufacturers including Toyota already starting to increase safety features in the cars they sell in Southeast Asia to ensure a higher star rating from ASEAN NCAP. Mr Anwar says the cars Toyota sells in ASEAN countries will now have frontal airbags at the very least.
"No more none-airbags cars in ASEAN countries for Toyota," he said.
To view the story compiled by the ABC which aired on the Australia Network in Malaysia, ABC News 24 on 30 October, and Asia Pacific Focus on 4 November click here.
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Coca Cola Amatil NZ awarded 2012 Fleet Safety Award.
Congratulations to Coca Cola Amatil NZ Ltd who were awarded the 2012 Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA) Fleet Safety Award.
Announced at AfMA's Annual Gala Dinner and Awards night in Melbourne on 13 September, three awards were presented recognising top achievers in the categories of Fleet Safety, Fleet Environment and Fleet Manager of the Year. The AfMA Awards seek to identify advances in best practice in fleet management and to bring these to the attention of its members and the industry. Since their introduction in 1996, the awards have recognised new approaches and applications that have produced substantial reductions in costs, lowered emissions and improved safety outcomes.
ANCAP has participated as one of the key supporters of the Fleet Safety Award for a number of years and Chairman of the ANCAP Council, Mr Ross McArthur, presented the 2012 Fleet Safety Award to Catherine King of Coca Cola Amatil NZ (CCANZ) in front of an audience of over 100 guests.
Each year in New Zealand, 100 people die and 200,000 workers are injured in workplace related incidents. CCANZ's Managing Director, Mr George Adams, joined 100 other business leaders in a pledge to take personal responsibility for making health and safety a vital part of the business. This 'Zero Harm' strategy was adopted by CCANZ in 2010 and a two year plan developed and implemented to bring about real change in the safety outcomes of CCANZ's fleet.
CCANZ's commitment to the Zero Harm culture has resulted in a 31% reduction in the incident rate and more than $100,000 savings in fleet costs since 2010. The cost per incident has also dropped by almost 40%. The message of Zero Harm was driven home during the 2011 Christmas period through the launch of 'Thinksafe + Drivesafe = Homesafe' message, including the parking of a crashed car at the entrance to their Auckland head office.
Congratulations to the Coca Cola Amatil NZ team!
Nominations for the 2013 AfMA Awards are now open, so if you know of an organisation or individual achieving best practice within their fleet management, send in a nomination form.
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Get Mobile.
Check the ANCAP safety rating of your next car wherever you are.
Whether you're on the showroom floor or the make / model you've had your eye on drives past you on the street, you can check its ANCAP safety rating while you’re out and about.
The ANCAP mobile site allows you to compare the safety ratings of different vehicle models and explains the differences between the 1 to 5 star ratings.
When looking to buy your next car, check it holds the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating.
You can also connect with ANCAP on Facebook and Twitter through the site and view a range of crash test photos and video via our YouTube channel and Flickr albums. Just visit m.ancap.com.au on your smartphone.
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bstreetsmart.
Crashlab participated in bstreetsmart 2012. In addition to a central presentation about vehicle and road safety, the team took six major interactive displays to the event, including two of ANCAP's crash tested cars - one with a 3 star, the other with a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.
bstreetsmart, previously known as The Youth and Road Trauma Forum, is Australia's largest educational event on youth road safety and in its seven years of operation has now had over 57,000 Year 10, 11 and 12 students participate. This year’s forum saw more than 15,700 students attend over three days during August.
On each day of the forum, thousands of students filled Allphones Arena at Homebush in semi-darkness. As the central presentation began and the lights came up, they were met with the aftermath of a crash that involved a car hitting a motorbike before striking a power pole. The front seat passenger was trapped in the car while the rear seat passenger had been ejected through the windscreen and was severly injured on the road beyond the pole. The motorcycle rider was sprawled on the road, as the driver started to take in the enormity of the consequences of his brief lapse in concentration.
The event followed the process of emergency services attending the scene, including detailed police, fire and rescue and ambulance perspectives. The story then followed the victims and the driver to hospital and to the police station respectively.
Later in the day, students were exposed to speakers with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, organ recipients and family of organ donors.
To ensure students received positive messages about what they can do to protect themselves against road trauma, the Centre for Road Safety presentation, given by Keith Simmons, Principal Manager Safer Vehicles, focussed on the importance of choosing a safer car through use of ANCAP or Used Car Safety Ratings. Keith also talked about how older cars cannot protect occupants as well as newer cars can and encouraged students to discuss with their parents having access to the safest car in the family garage. The correct use of seat belts and the importance of front and side airbags was shown, along with braking distance and the effect of distraction on reaction time and hence stopping distance and more.
Students engaged with over 15 interactive stands and displays from a range of supporters, with the ANCAP crashed cars proving very popular.
bstreeetsmart is the inspiring initiative of the Trauma Service at Westmead Hospital with the
purpose being to reduce the fatality and injury rates of young people by promoting safe behaviour as drivers, riders and passengers.
bstreetsmart provides students with:
- An understanding of their responsibilities as a driver and as a responsible passenger
- Information and strategies to avoid serious injuries and death
- Information on how to reduce risk taking behaviour through greater awareness of the consequences of distracted driving, inattention, speeding, drink and drug driving and driver fatigue.
This successful initiative receives support from the NSW Government through the Centre for Road Safety and is free to all schools to attend. RAC WA also condct a similar bstreetsmart forum and exhibition with planning already underway for their 2013 event.
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Crash Test Cow.
A new type of cattle gate aimed at preventing farmer death and injury has completed rigorous testing and development by the CSIRO.
SaferGate, designed by farmer and inventor Edward Evans, has been put to the test by a CSIRO-developed 'crash test cow'.
Hundreds of farmers and cattle handlers are injured in Australia operating cattle gates. The test cow, which boasts authentic horns and hide, is designed to simulate the force of a bull or cow charging a cattle gate, used on farms, feedlots, in trucks and abattoirs across Australia.
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You asked us...
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Does the fitting aftermarket electrical items such as battery isolators, reversing alarms and two-ways affect a cars 5 star ANCAP safety rating?
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Our expert said...
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The fitting of isolation switches, two-way radios and reversing alarms does not affect the ANCAP safety rating provided that safety-related equipment such as airbags and electronic stability control remain operative during normal road use.
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You asked us...
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Is there a link between the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) and ANCAP safety ratings? For example, does a car have to meet a minimum ANCAP safety rating for it to be allowed to be sold in Australia, or are ANCAP tests voluntary?
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Our expert said...
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The simple answer is no, there is no link. ANCAP was formed some 20 years ago (based on US NCAP) following the view by Australian consumers that new cars sold in Australia, while meeting the ADRs, were "less safe" than those sold in the USA. ANCAP testing has always stood above the ADRs - ANCAP test speeds have been higher the ADRs (64 km/h vs. 56 km/h for the frontal offset test) as injury and fatalities occur at the higher speeds.
The Australian Government's decision last year to mandate a 5 star ANCAP safety rating purchasing policy for passenger vehicles was a major move by the regulator to accept ANCAP over the ADRs with only one or two other countries in the world that have done something similar.
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