Automotive safety is full of confusing acronyms, from the better-known ABS (antilock braking system) to new arrivals like AEB (autonomous emergency braking) or LSS (lane support systems).

Fortunately, you don’t need to master an entirely new language to ensure you’re buying the safest possible vehicle, instead just look to the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) star rating system for guidance.  

The program, which is supported by all Australian and New Zealand motoring clubs and transport authorities, involves crash-testing new vehicles to compare the level of protection provided in front and side collisions and awarding these vehicles a star rating out of five.

“The simplest way to see how your vehicle stacks up when it comes to safety is to check how many stars it has earned,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said.

“Today, the majority of new vehicles sold achieve a five-star rating – an excellent achievement by vehicle manufacturers to ensure they provide their customers with the safest vehicles possible.”

ANCAP ratings can change

It’s worth noting too that, just as new vehicle technology changes rapidly, so do the test criteria for ANCAP ratings, meaning that a five-star rated car tested in 2018 may not achieve the same rating if tested to today’s stricter standards.

“Every two years, the tests and test criteria we use to rate vehicles become harder to meet so that all road users can benefit from safety improvements,” Ms Hoorweg said.

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.

“Checking the ‘tested’ date stamp ensures you are comparing vehicles rated to similar test criteria. ANCAP recommends that you choose a vehicle with the highest safety rating possible, with a date stamp of no older than six years.”

Because not everyone wants or can afford a new vehicle, RACQ also publishes its annual Used Car Safety Ratings, which provide members with an overall crash safety rating for most of the popular used models found in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Regardless of whether you’re buying a new or used vehicle, safety features should be high on your list of requirements.

Aspects of car safety

According to ANCAP, the safety of a car is based around three key aspects: structural integrity, passive safety features and safety assist technologies.

The combination of a sound structure, good restraint systems and active safety assist technologies provide the best chance of survival in a crash and may even help avoid one altogether.

Structural integrity is all about how the shell of a vehicle withstands and channels crash forces away from occupants. This varies substantially from make to make and model to model, according to ANCAP, so choosing a vehicle with a sound structure is vital when it comes to saving lives.

Passive safety features are those built-in safety features such as airbags, antilock braking systems (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), seat belts and seat belt pre-tensioners which help prevent or manage the forces of impact.

Finally, safety assist technologies are semi-autonomous and autonomous safety technologies which assist the driver in avoiding or reducing the severity of a crash. These include features like blind spot monitoring (BSM) autonomous emergency braking (AEB), active lane-keep assist (LKA), and intelligent speed adaptation (ISA).

All of these things are taken into account during ANCAP’s rigorous testing and rating of popular-selling passenger, sports utility (SUV) and light commercial vehicles (LCV), with the eventual ANCAP safety rating determined through a series of physical crash tests and collision avoidance assessments. The ratings indicate the level of safety a new vehicle provides to occupants, other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a crash, as well as the vehicle’s ability to avoid or minimise the severity of a crash.

Key safety features

When it comes to collision warning and avoidance, some of the key features to look out for are autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring (BSM), adaptive cruise control (ACC), following distance warning, intersection collision warning, hill launch assist, lane support systems (LSS) / lane keep assist (LKA) and reversing collision avoidance.

Pre-crash systems that detect when a collision is about to occur and take action preparing the vehicle and the occupants for the impact are another extremely valuable feature.

So too, braking and stability features like electronic stability control (ESC), electronic brakeforce fistribution (EBD) and rmergency brake assist (EBA).

Speed alert systems are also valuable additions to a vehicle’s safety armoury and can include a manual speed alarm that alerts the driver when the vehicle exceeds a (pre-set) speed; and intelligent speed alert aystems (ISA), which can determine the speed limit and either alert the driver if over the limit, or lower the speed of the vehicle automatically.

Then there are fatigue assistance technologies, including attention assist which uses sensors to monitor driver attention and detect drowsiness, alerting the driver and prompting a break; and fatigue reminder systems which monitor the length of continuous driving and encourage the driver to take a rest are also helpful.

Vehicle safety features have come a long way over the years with features such as crumple zones, seat belts and airbags all providing protection in the event of a crash.

Along with the emergence of active safety assist technologies which can prevent a crash from occurring, it’s fair to say that vehicles in general have never been safer.

But as clever and hi-tech as modern vehicles are, the attitude of the person behind the wheel is still enormously significant in staying safe and avoiding accidents.

For more information check out these helpful links:

• New car safety ratings
• Used car safety ratings
• Car selection for older drivers
• Understanding safety features