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Safety standards to raise for ANCAP ratings from 2012
Safety standards to raise for ANCAP ratings from 2012
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) provides consumers with an independent, unbiased evaluation of the level of safety provided by a vehicle in the event of a serious accident. This safety rating is coveted throughout the automobile manufacturing industry, with manufacturers striving to achieve a 5-star rating. However, the ANCAP rating will be harder to achieve from 2012, as ANCAP has chosen to raise its safety standard even further.
Crash test dummies…
ANCAP awards a star rating to a vehicle based on its performance in crash test situations. The awards are given from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least safe and 5 being the most. All vehicles are assessed under identical criteria and points are either awarded or deducted, depending how it fares under a number of test conditions and how it complies with certain scientific criteria. To achieve the 5-star rating, a vehicle must achieve the highest internationally recognised standards in all test categories.
New tests for whiplash
As part of its mission to increase the safety of all vehicles, ANCAP is paying particular attention to the prevention of whiplash. It is introducing a new test that is based on studies conducted by a number of research institutes, including Australia’s NRMA, the USA’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the UK’s Thatcham Motor Insurance Research Centre. In 2009, these bodies united to develop a test to reduce the potential for whiplash and their findings focussed on the effectiveness of head restraints of 148 new cars. Using simulated low speed impacts and static tests which assessed the most effective position for head restraints, the initial results of these trials revealed that 71% of new cars rated as either ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’. When these tests were launched in 2004, the pass rate was a low 31%, so the new figures are showing a positive improvement in safety standards. By incorporating these tests as part of their own, ANCAP is further raising the bar for the acceptable standards of whiplash prevention.
Tougher standards
Nicolas Jervis, managing director of personal injury specialists, 1stClaims, believes that introducing tougher standards will not only save motorists from the pain and inconvenience of whiplash, but could also help to drive down the cost of insurance premiums. He says: “Around 50% the cost of a motorist’s insurance policy is used to cover the cost of whiplash claims – some of which are fraudulent. Hopefully, manufacturers that perform poorly under ANCAP’s new tests will take these results into consideration and realise that head restraint design can improve significantly for little additional cost. By reducing the potential for whiplash, the potential for whiplash claims – both genuine and fraudulent – are also reduced. To the motorist, this translates as lower insurance premiums.”
However, Nicolas also believes that motorists have to assume a degree of responsibility for maintaining their own safety. “While the likelihood of a neck injury in a car crash can be significantly reduced through the better design of head restraints, passengers and drivers can also be proactive in adjusting the head restraint to suit their seating position.”
By 2014, ANCAP hopes to add further criteria to its tests, including minimum requirements for roof crush protection.
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