\ngovernment.\u00a0 This site draws on ANCAP statistics to rate new cars hitting the Australian market and also USCR (Used Car\u00a0 Safety Ratings) figures.\u00a0 This saves you the hassle of trawling through oodles of crash testing videos and figures, allowing you to find the make and model of vehicle you\u2019re interested in and see how it scores.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get the overall star rating (five is the best, for those who aren\u2019t familiar with the ANCAP system or its European equivalent, Euro NCAP) plus a more detailed breakdown detailing how the car performed in the frontal offset test (where the car is rammed into a pillar that hits the driver\u2019s side at 64 km\/h, simulating the typical front-on accident), the side impact crash test (where a heavy trolley is smacked into the side of a car at 50 km\/h to simulate a T-bone collision) and the pole test (which is optional but simulates side-swiping a tree by ramming a concrete pole into the side of the test vehicle at 29 km\/H).\u00a0 You are also given a breakdown on how well the driver and front passenger are protected, using a colour-coded diagram.\u00a0 Last, but definitely not least, you also get a checklist of all the safety features that are present (or should be) on the vehicle.\u00a0 And, because safety isn\u2019t just about drivers but about pedestrians and air quality, you also can see the rating for pedestrian safety and the \u201cgreen vehicle guide\u201d (fuel consumption, carbon emissions, etc.).\u00a0 Those who really want to see the full details also have the option of downloading a pdf with the full report.<\/p>\n
The maximum number of points that can be scored on each of the main tests (frontal offset and side impact) is 16, and a car has to score 12.5 or more in both of them to get a five-star rating.\u00a0 More points can be picked up via the pole test and by having seatbelt warnings.\u00a0 A score of 32.5 gets a five-star rating, as long as one of those points came from the pole test.\u00a0 A modern\u00a0 ehicle (i.e. one made after 2008) has to have electronic stability control as well in order to get the full five stars.<\/p>\n
To give an example of how the system works, let\u2019s have a look at how a couple of recent models that earned five stars at this site performed: the 2011 Holden Barina, the 2011 BMW X3 and the 2011 Audi A6.<\/p>\n
The Holden Barina scored 35.43 out of 37 points as follows:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Side impact test: 16\/16<\/li>\n
- Frontal offset test: 15.43 out of 16<\/li>\n
- Pole test: 2\/2<\/li>\n
- Other points: 2\/3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The BMW X3 scored 34.58 out of 37 points as follows:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Side impact test: 16\/16<\/li>\n
- Frontal offset test: 14.58\/16<\/li>\n
- Pole test: 2\/2<\/li>\n
- Other points: 2\/3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Audi A6 scored 34.91 out of 37 as follows:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Side impact test: 15\/16<\/li>\n
- Frontal offset test: 14.91\/16<\/li>\n
- Pole test: 2\/2<\/li>\n
- Other points: 3\/3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Every new car that we have listed here at Private Fleet can be checked out for safety, as well as a few that we don\u2019t list (not that there\u2019s many of those!).\u00a0 The site also lists a large range of older cars that are likely to be bought in the second-hand market
\n(going back to 1990).\u00a0 Have a go yourself at the website to find out just how safe the car you learnt to drive on scored
\nsafety-wise and wonder how you managed to survive.\u00a0 The Ford Falcon and the VW Beetle I had my first lessons weren\u2019t in the list \u2013 the ones I got to drive were older than the 1990 model, but I won\u2019t say more than that so I don\u2019t give away my age too
\nmuch.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.privatefleet.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/crash-test-holden.jpg\" "\\"crash")
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