Your guide to the ANCAP safety rating system

When choosing a vehicle, safety should always come first. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is an independent safety rating that helps everyday drivers and fleet managers make smarter choices about the safest cars on the market.

Here’s everything you need to know about ANCAP safety ratings, including how they work, what they test and why they matter for your vehicle’s safety.

What does ANCAP stand for?

ANCAP stands for the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, an independent vehicle safety assessment body in Australia and New Zealand.

What is an ANCAP rating?

A safety score from 0 to 5 stars. It’s used to show the vehicle’s ability to protect occupants and pedestrians in the event of a crash, as well as how effective it is at avoiding accidents.

What does ANCAP do?

ANCAP experts carry out rigorous crash tests and safety assessments on new vehicles entering Australian and New Zealand markets. They evaluate everything from their structural integrity to safety technology to crash-avoidance features and more. The end goal is to encourage car manufacturers to build safer vehicles and keep consumers well-informed about car safety.

How ANCAP safety ratings work

ANCAP assigns vehicles a star rating based on their safety performance in crash tests and following assessments of their safety technology.

• 5 stars – excellent safety performance
• 4 stars – good safety, but might lack some advanced safety features
• 3 stars – adequate safety but missing some protective measures
• 2 stars – below-average safety performance
• 1 star or lower – minimal protection in a crash

Vehicles need to meet minimum safety thresholds across multiple categories to achieve a high rating.

What is measured in ANCAP testing criteria?

Every vehicle is tested against four specific areas to evaluate the car’s final safety rating:

1. Adult occupant protection (AOP)

This measures how well a vehicle protects adults in a crash. Some of the tests include:

• Frontal offset crash test.
• Full-width frontal crash test.
• Side-impact crash test.
• Whiplash protection test.
• Far-side impact test.
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) performance.

2. Child occupant protection (COP)

This looks into how well the vehicle protects children in car seats, assessing things like:

• Crash tests using child dummies.
• How easy it is to install child restraints.
• Whether ISOFIX anchor points and top tether points are available.

3. Vulnerable road user protection (VRU)

This section evaluates how well the car protects pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a collision:

• Head impact tests.
• Leg impact tests.
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) for pedestrians and cyclists.

4. Safety assist (SA)

Finally, this one examines the vehicle’s active safety features that can help prevent crashes:

• Lane-keeping assist.
• Speed-assistance systems.
• Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
• Intelligent seatbelt reminders.

How ANCAP tests vehicles

ANCAP uses real-world crash scenarios in controlled environments to test out vehicles. Crash tests with dummies are carried out to measure all the various injury risks for passengers, as well as AEB tests for pedestrian and vehicle detection. They will then conduct speed and lane-keeping tests to measure safety-assist technology.

There are also post-crash safety assessments to check rescue and extrication capabilities. Crash test dummies, for example, simulate real-life injuries which helps ANCAP score each vehicle based on the amount of protection they provide.

4 reasons why ANCAP ratings matter

1. Informs buyers: Helps you choose the safest cars available.
2. Encourages safer cars: Pushes manufacturers to meet higher safety standards.
3. Reduces road tolls: Better crash protection and prevention technologies usually translate to fewer deaths on the road.
4. Improves insurance costs: Safer vehicles can attract lower premiums.

How to use ANCAP ratings when buying a car

Follow these tips when buying your next vehicle:

• Look for a 5-star ANCAP rating: The highest-starred vehicles are the ones that will give you the best protection overall.
• Check the ‘date stamp’: Ratings are updated regularly, so newer models will have had to meet stricter standards.
• Compare safety features: Make sure the vehicle has AEB, lane assist and advanced crash protection.
• Visit the ANCAP website: Check the latest ratings
  before making a decision.

The ANCAP safety rating system is an incredibly helpful tool for measuring a vehicle’s safety before you buy your next car. Always choose safety first – because a 5-star ANCAP rating could mean the difference between life and death.

Sources

_{https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance/guides/road-safety/ancap-safety-ratings-explained.html}

https://www.ancap.com.au/safety-ratings

https://www.ancap.com.au/

https://howsafeisyourcar.com.au/ratings

https://www.ancap.com.au/how-are-cars-tested-for-safety

_Disclaimer
^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}