RAC is urging drivers to check the ANCAP safety rating when shopping for a new car this end of financial year, revealing some new cars are so unsafe, RAC will not insure them.
RAC’s Manager Vehicles and Fuels, Alex Forrest, said manufacturers such as Great Wall, LDV and Foton have produced cars which ANCAP rated so low, RAC would not insure nor finance them.
“Consumers see these brand new cars with elaborate aesthetic features and assume they have high-quality safety features as well; however this is not always the case,” Mr Forrest said.
“The Great Wall Steed is one example of a brand new car that looks shiny and impressive, yet has an ANCAP safety rating of just 2. Under RAC’s Safer Cars Commitment, we would not insure that vehicle.”
RAC has consistently called for ANCAP safety ratings to be displayed on new cars at the point of sale, the same way it is mandatory for the energy rating to be displayed on white goods, to help Australians buy the safest car they can afford.
According to ANCAP, vehicle occupants have twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured in a 3 star safety rated car compared to a 5 star safety rated car.
In 2012, RAC took this commitment to road safety one step further by choosing to not insure or finance any vehicle which has an ANCAP rating of 1, 2 or 3-stars and was built in 2012 or beyond.
“By not checking the ANCAP rating of a car, you are not only putting your personal safety at risk, you also risk losing financially if you pay for a new car that you cannot then insure,” Mr Forrest said.
“Just because a vehicle looks good, doesn’t mean it does a good job at keeping you safe.
“So far this year, WA has tragically lost 66 people on our roads, and there have been thousands of serious injuries. The impact of road trauma is devastating, and more needs to be done to reduce the road toll.
“We urge consumers shopping in the end of financial year sales to check the ANCAP safety rating of a car before considering it, no matter how aesthetically appealing it may be. It could save your life or the lives of your loved ones.”
In a June 2016 RAC magazine poll, 68 per cent of car owners did not know the safety rating of their car, reinforcing the important advocacy role of ANCAP.
For a list of ANCAP safety ratings visit ancap.com.au and for used car safety ratings, visit howsafeisyourcar.com.au
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