Vehicles crashed in the pursuit of safety will be one of the major attractions in an NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) display opening in Dunedin later this week.
The crashed cars are part of an ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Programme) crash-test display that can be viewed on the ground floor level of the Meridan Mall in Dunedin from this Friday (27 January) until Sunday (29 January). Dunedin road safety partners including the City Council, Police, and ACC, have joined with the NZTA to bring the display to the City.
NZTA’s Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield said the display has been brought over from Australia to highlight just how much better five star safety rated cars protect their passengers in the event of a crash. Choosing safer vehicles is a simple way that individual drivers can reduce deaths and injuries by keeping themselves and their families safer on the roads.
“If all New Zealanders drove five star safety rated cars, it’s estimated the road toll could be reduced by one third. Based on the latest annual road toll, that is nearly 100 people whose lives would not have been lost last year alone.”
Mr Dangerfield says the display shows the difference in damage sustained by a three-star rated crash test vehicle (the Chinese-built Chery J1) and a five-star vehicle (the Hyundai i45) that were crashed in the course of being ANCAP rated. Those who visit the display will be able to see how the occupants of each car would have fared in the crash. There will also be information panels encouraging people to consider safety ratings the next time they’re in the market for a new car.
The ANCAP programme involves physically crash testing new vehicles that are on sale in Australia and New Zealand to produce a star rating on a five point scale. The rating is based on how well the vehicles protect their occupants and pedestrians in a range of crash situations.
Approximately 12-15 vehicle models per year are tested. Data from the European New Car Assessment Programme is also used to produce ratings for a large number of additional models. The NZ Transport Agency and the New Zealand AA are both members of ANCAP.
The NZTA recently updated its RightCar website which provides a one-stop shop of vehicle information for people considering buying a new vehicle. It provides information on vehicle safety ratings, fuel economy and emissions ratings. The RightCar website can be found at www.rightcar.govt.nz(external link)
