Why Your Car Isn't As Safe As You Think

Confusion over Australia’s car safety ratings system is putting drivers at risk

- Toby Hagon

Old ANCAP safety ratings could be misleading consumers as to which cars are safest, due to changes in the independent crash test authority’s testing protocols and an increased focus on crash avoidance technologies.

Five-star ratings earned up to a decade or more ago are in many cases outdated because they were awarded before the advent of crash avoidance systems that have since become commonplace in the new-car market.

It’s not helped by ANCAP claims such as “the more stars, the better the vehicle performed across ANCAP tests”, even when qualified with a statement suggesting newer cars are tested to more stringent criteria.

Even the NSW government’s Centre for Road Safety appears confused by the ANCAP requirements, incorrectly stating on its website that all vehicles receiving a five-star ANCAP rating “achieve the highest standards in all tests and feature advanced safety assist technologies”.

In a statement to Wheels, the executive director of the Centre for Road Safety, Bernard Carlon, did not address the issue of safety assist technologies, instead reiterating that “ANCAP ratings should be used for purchasing new vehicle models”.

It’s easy to understand the source of confusion. ANCAP’s current protocols span 21 documents and 604 pages, a tome unlikely to be digested by any prospective car buyer.

Some of the most popular cars on the road – including the Toyota Land Cruiser 70-Series ute, Mitsubishi Pajero, Volkswagen Amarok, Toyota Prado and some versions of the Hyundai i30 and Honda Civic – get the maximum safety score but don’t get the latest active safety technology. They were tested between 2011 and 2017.

Some of those features are required for a modern five-star ANCAP rating; ANCAP standards have increased annually since 2011.