“Nah, it won’t happen to me…”

But if it does, do you want to be in a car that gives you 50 per cent less chance of living after a crash? The fact is that this is precisely the difference between a one star and a five star rating on your new car!

One star or five stars, and that’s the message that ANCAP (Australain New Car Assessment Programme) wants to deliver. So let’s find out a bit more about the five star ANCAP rating programme that applies to new cars in Australia.

• Every 15 minutes someone is either killed or seriously injured on Australian roads.
• If you are in a 1 star rated vehicle you have twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured versus a five star rated vehicle
• Factors that contribute towards a five star rating include:- anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control, seat belt reminders, as well, of course, as airbags (side and frontal) and passenger cell protection
• Frontal impact testing is carried out at an impact speed of 64 kph.
• 380 vehicles have been crash tested by ANCAP since 1993.

Now take a look at the video clip below (click on the arrow). This is a graphical example of the damage that occurs in three vehicles on frontal impact at 64kph.

As you can see, the vehicle on the left was virtually destroyed, whereas the one on the right suffered little passenger injury threatening damage by comparison. Which one would you rather be in?

Now you can see the enormous importance of this rating programme, and the value it gives for the Australian car buyer.

Cars and other passenger vehicles that are rated 4 or 5 star are considered good or excellent, and frankly, most new cars sold today in Australia do achieve these results (though there are some exceptions).

ANCAP manages a first class web site that explains in graphic detail the type of testing that they do, but, better than that- they’ll also tell you the star rating of any intending purchase that you may be making.

Go to their website, and “How safe is your next vehicle?” enter the make and model of the new car or passenger vehicle you are thinking of buying and it will give you the results of their crash assessment programme. Also spend some time cruising around their website, it makes fascinating, and possibly life-saving reading.