Safety

Almost half of all 18 to 35 year olds admit to engaging in dangerous and illegal habits behind the wheel.

Most manufacturers are offering at least some form of AEB. However no two systems are created equal. Here's what consumers should be aware of when considering active safety systems.

Cars are rated from 1 to 5 in terms of safety, with a 5-star rating the best.The stars are awarded under the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).ANCAP crash tests cars in specially built facilities in scenarios that are designed to simulate real world situations.The stars indicate the level of safety for occupants and pedestrians in a crash, as well as an indication of a car's ability to avoid a crash altogether through technology fitted.The ANCAP crash test program was established in 1992 with the first test results published in 1993.Vehicles must achieve minimum scores across all physical crash tests for each ANCAP safety rating levelEuro NCAP was established in 1997 and ANCAP began testing and assessing vehicles in accordance with the Euro NCAP protocols in 1999. At this time the star rating system was also introduced.Crash tests dummies costing up to a million dollars each are used to measure the forces and likely injuries a driver, passenger or pedestrian may sustain.Vehicles must achieve minimum scores across all physical crash tests for each ANCAP safety rating level, as well as meet minimum requirements for the inclusion of safety equipment and technologies.In 2008 the inclusion of electronic stability control (ESC) became mandatory before a vehicle could achieve the maximum five stars.Cars built before this date may well have a five-star rating, but may not necessarily be fitted with ESC — so it pays to check.Ratings are on record, in a searchable, online databaseANCAP crash tests new passenger and light commercial vehicles entering the Australian and New Zealand markets at its facility at Huntingwood, NSW, but also accepts crash data from related organisations like Euro NCAP to formulate ratings.ANCAP sources cars itself to avoid any possibility of vehicles being specially prepared.Ratings are on record, in a searchable, online database that stretches back to the first car to receive a five star rating in Australia, the Renault Laguna in 2001.

Know the score before your next vehicle inspection while saving money and protecting loved ones with this quick three-point DIY tyre safety check.

Toyota has withdrawn some of its most popular vehicles from sale after a defect was discovered across most of its passenger-car range. Toyota has today confirmed that the Camry, Corolla Hatch, RAV4 Hybrid and the Prius have all been withdrawn from s

A letter in the mail from your State transport authority never bodes well for the hip pocket. If it's not a renewal notice for your car registration, then you can bet it’s a traffic infringement notice that will not only see you parting with hard-earned cash but licence points as well.If you missed the flash of the camera, this is also the first time you will know you have been caught by a red-light camera, the accompanying photographic evidence usually leaving little doubt.While red-light cameras are installed at key intersections across the country to decrease the incidence of accidents and resultant injury or loss of lives, they are in fact big business, generating millions of dollars in revenue.In fact, in 2018, just one Sydney camera (cnr Elizabeth and Park Streets) generated more than $14.7 million alone.How do red light cameras work?Red light or safety cameras as they are also known, are connected to the traffic light and linked to sensors under the first white stop line.The camera is triggered when the vehicle crosses the white line on a red light. The camera takes two pictures, usually of the rear of the vehicle, at the moment it crosses the white line and then half a second later to show that it had indeed proceeded into the intersection while the light was red.The camera only takes the first picture if you cross the stop line more than 0.3 seconds after the light has turned red so cars that entered the intersection on a yellow light will not trigger the camera.In addition to the date, time and location of the offence, the camera also records the direction in which you were travelling, the speed limit and your actual speed.Some red-light cameras are also speed cameras so if you speed up to make a light, you can find yourself receiving two infringements instead of one.Remember the speeding part of the camera will be activated whatever colour the light.How are red light camera locations chosen?The premise of red light cameras is that they will help drivers make better choices. Ignoring a red light can result in a right-angle road crash which can be more dangerous to vehicle occupants in an event of an accident as the sided of vehicles tend to have less protection to absorb the impact than the front and rear of a car.The vehicle that is hit can also more readily spin out of control resulting in further impacts and injuries.Locations are carefully chosen and red light cameras are installed at:intersections with the greatest frequency of crashesthose intersections identified as a high crash riskpotential sections of road where road workers, pedestrians and other road users may be most at risk.So, you have received a red-light infringement. What are your options?Red light cameras are serviced regularly but are not infallible. In Geelong, for example, a camera at the Evans and Moorabool intersection booked some motorists incorrectly for more than two years, resulting in additional fines of more than $2 million.So, how can you get out of a red light camera fine? As with most traffic infringements in Australia, you can appeal a red-light camera ticket by writing a red light fine letter to the relevant transport authority.If you believe you were incorrectly fined or crossed on red for extenuating circumstances, you can apply for an internal review within 28 days of receiving the notice.If the application is successful, the agency can cancel the ticket. If the application is unsuccessful you can either pay the fine or have it resolved by a magistrate in court although courts rarely show much leniency. The court process can be expensive and complex so be prepared for that, too.What if you were not driving?If the photographs show your registration number but you were not behind the wheel, the fine and demerit points can be passed on to the actual driver.At the back of the Penalty Notice is a Statutory Declaration that you can fill out providing the details of the driver at the time of the offence. Businesses can do this on company cars too to avoid the higher fines.Do all States and Territories see red?The application and installation of red light cameras are fairly consistent across the country but States and Territories do differ on penalties for going through a red light.Locations of red light cameras can change with new ones added and some locations disused as situations change.Red light camera fines New South Wales (NSW)Locations of red light cameras in NSW.Red light camera fines Victoria (VIC)Locations of red light cameras in VIC.Red light camera fines Queensland (QLD)Locations of red light cameras in QLD.Red light camera fines Soth Australia (SA)Locations of red light cameras in SA.Red light camera fines Australian Capital Territory (ACT)Locations of red light cameras in ACT.Red light camera fines Western Australia (WA)Locations of red light cameras in WA.Red light camera fines Northern Territory (NT)Locations of red light cameras in NT.Red light camera fines Tasmania (TAS)Locations of red light cameras in TAS.

Is the 2012 Holden Captiva LX a front-wheel drive or AWD variant? Also please advise if the vehicle is a 5-star ANCAP rating vehicle?

A recent recall of Honda CR-V models in the US has caused a stir among Australian customers, but local consumers have nothing to fear.

Australia’s crash-testing body ANCAP has released the latest round of safety testing with the all-new Toyota HiAce and Nissan Leaf earning five stars, yet the Jeep Wrangler has earned only one star. Australia’s top-selling van, the HiAce, achieved 94 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 84 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 77 per cent for safety assist. The second-generation Nissan Leaf scored well, too, with a 93 per cent adult occupant protection score, plus 85 per cent for child occupant protection, 71 per cent vulnerable road user protection and 70 per cent for safety assist.The Jeep Wrangler, on the other hand, scored just 50 per cent for adult occupant projection, 49 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and just 32 per cent for safety assist.From launch, the Wrangler is only equipped with auto emergency braking (AEB) and blind-spot monitoring on the top two models, though Jeep will add both features to the entry-level Sport S “towards the back end of 2019,” according to Jeep Australia boss Steve Zanlunghi.Beyond all of this, the Australian model lacks curtain airbags and is fundamentally challenged by having a fold-down windscreen and removable doors. “The safety performance of the Wrangler is limited, falling well shy of the expected standard in three of the four key areas of assessment” said ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin. “Chest protection was a concern for the driver and rear passenger in each of the frontal crash tests, a number of penalties were applied for structural deformation and potential leg injury hazards, and base variants lack autonomous emergency braking altogether,” Mr Goodwin said.The outgoing JK Wrangler had a four-star rating but only on petrol V6 models produced from 2012 onwards - models dating back to 2007 were not rated. 

What are advanced safety features and how can they help protect your family?