Choosing a safer car is about to get easier

ANCAP to add "date-stamping" to its five-star safety ratings.

Choosing a safer car is about to get easier. From January, Australia’s peak safety body will “date stamp” the five-star crash protection ratings of most popular new cars on sale, so that buyers can tell if it’s a new or an old result.
 
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has been raising the safety bar over the past decade.
 
It means a car that scores five stars today must meet a higher standard than one that was awarded a five-star rating 10 years ago.
 
Under the current system, buyers can only tell the difference if they compare crash ratings online and see when the vehicle was crash-tested.
 
But from next year car companies wanting to display the ANCAP safety logo and star rating will be required to display in bold type the year the vehicle was tested.
 
For example, the Volkswagen Amarok ute scored a five-star rating when it was tested in 2011, even though it does not have rear airbag protection.
 
If the Volkswagen Amarok were tested today, it would not earn a five-star rating because ANCAP has since closed that loophole, and now requires rear airbag protection as a minimum before a car can be awarded a five-star rating.
 
“It’s important (to add date-stamping) given that safety improvements are moving so quickly,” said ANCAP chief Nick Clarke. “In some cases, the tests for cars with five star ratings were up to 10 years ago.
 
“Cars are getting safer and we need to mark them accordingly, and reward the car makers that achieve five star ratings against today’s tougher criteria.”