Ratings that Save Lives

Driver behaviour and enforcement are key to saving lives on our roads, but one key element that is often overlooked is the safety of the vehicle.  The following rating systems can be used to ensure the vehicle you are in is as safe as possible, giving the best chance of either avoiding or minimising the consequences of a crash.

CREP – Child Restraint Ratings

Kidsafe reported transport injuries are the most common cause of child injury death and the second most common cause of injury related hospital admissions for children aged 0 to 14 years. This highlights the importance of selecting a child car seat with the most protection.

The Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP) provides independent and consistent information to help choose safe child car seats. The star rating system makes it easier to select a child seat based on its level of crash protection and ease of use. A star rating up to a maximum of five stars is given, the more stars the better the seat has performed.

Crash performance is assessed using simulated crash tests where a correctly restrained child is involved in three types of crash. The car seat is evaluated in terms of its ability to protect the child.

Ease of use ratings are based on five categories – packaging; instructions; labels; securing/releasing the child; securing/releasing the car seat within the vehicle. A child seat that is easier to use is more likely to be used correctly. Child car seats that are correctly fitted offer better protection.

Visit www.childcarseats.com.au for child restraint ratings.

Car Safety Ratings

We often pick a new car based on how it looks or how much it costs, but surely safety should be a major consideration. Cars with low safety ratings are putting yourself, your family and your friends at risk. Your choice of car can be the difference between surviving or being seriously injured or killed in a crash.

Newer vehicles are equipped with better and more sophisticated safety technologies. However the safest vehicles aren’t necessarily the newest or the most expensive and, even if you’re buying a second-hand vehicle, ratings can help you make the safest choice.

ANCAP – New Car Safety Ratings

The Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) provides independent vehicle safety ratings for new vehicles. ANCAP star ratings indicate the level of safety a vehicle provides for occupants and pedestrians in the event of a crash, as well as its ability to avoid or minimise the effects of a crash.

To achieve the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, a vehicle must achieve the highest standards in all tests and feature advanced safety assist technologies. The ratings are based on crash tests and performance tests of active safety systems.

Visit www.ancap.com.au to check new car safety ratings.

Used Car Safety Ratings

The Used Car Safety Ratings Buyer's Guide helps identify the safest second-hand vehicles. Safety ratings are provided for nearly 300 models based on vehicle records from more than 8 million police-reported road crashes. The vehicle’s size and weight, design, and safety features, such as airbags and types of seatbelts, are all taken into account.

The ratings show that many of the safest cars, of all different varieties, can be purchased second-hand for an affordable price.

The guide is available at:

www.roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/buyers_guide_used_car_safety_ratings.html

The website www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au provides buyer with independent safety information on new and used cars.