The 21st annual Used Car Safety Ratings guide has been released, providing used-car buyers with an important reference when choosing their next vehicle.
Road safety minister Michael O’Brien says the new guide, which covers 216 of the most popular vehicle models manufactured between 1996 and 2011, provides a safety rating to indicate the level of protection drivers can expect in the event of a crash.
“Making sure your used car has the highest rating possible could save your life,” says O’Brien.
“We often put a lot of thought into the make and colour when choosing our next car, but safety should really be a critical factor.
“This guide is especially important for young drivers who may be buying their first car.”
The ratings in the guide are calculated by the Monash University Accident Research Centre, which analysed more than 5.5 million vehicles in police-reported road crashes and more than 1.4 million injured road users in New Zealand and Australia between 1996 and 2011.
O’Brien says vehicles are rated in five safety categories: excellent, good, marginal, poor and very poor.
“The very best vehicles are awarded the ‘Safe Pick’ rating, meaning the vehicle not only protects drivers in crashes, but also minimises injuries to other road users including pedestrians and cyclists,” he says.
“These vehicles include electronic stability control (ESC), a proven crash avoidance technology.”
RAA senior manager mobility and automotive policy, Mark Borlace, says there are a wide range of safe vehicles available in almost all the vehicle categories.
“The medium car category fared best, with 13 vehicles rated excellent for driver protection in a crash. Of the 13, six also received the ‘Safe Pick’ rating,” says Borlace.
“In the small car category, of the seven cars to receive an excellent rating, six were also awarded the ‘Safe Pick’ rating, including the locally-made Holden Cruze.
“Overall, 109 vehicles were rated as excellent or good while 54 models rated in the poor or very poor category.”
Borlace says interestingly, the proportion of commercial vehicles scoring good or excellent had increased significantly in this year’s guide.
“It’s pleasing to see that three commercial utilities were awarded ‘Safe Pick’, including the locally-made Holden Commodore Ute VE, which is a first for this vehicle category,” Borlace says.
“The vast majority of ‘Safe Pick’ cars were manufactured from 2001 onwards showing that newer vehicles, with their additional safety features and better design, are best at reducing harm to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists in collisions.”
O’Brien says in addition to the Used Car Safety Ratings Guide he encouraged new drivers to also visit the My First Car Checklist.
“The My First Car Checklist informs young people and their parents about the various safety features they should be looking for when considering the purchase of their first car,” he says.
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