Checking used car safety ratings could save your life

RAC has released the latest Used Car Safety Ratings guide, revealing your choice of second-hand car could be the difference between walking away from a crash or being left with life-changing injuries.

The 2019 Used Car Safety Ratings assessed more than eight million real-life crashes to calculate how well each vehicle protects its driver from death or serious injury. 

Of the 300 vehicle models assessed, just 23 per cent scored the top safety rating of five stars.

Only one vehicle in the ‘light cars’ category received a five-star rating; the Honda City manufactured between 2009 and 2013. Slightly bigger cars given the top safety rating include the Mazda 3, Toyota Prius and Nissan Pulsar.

RAC Manager Vehicles and Fuel Alex Forrest said the ratings provide valuable advice on how purchasing the right used car can significantly reduce your chances of being hurt or killed in a crash.

“The type of used car you buy could literally save your life or someone else’s,” Mr Forrest said.

“The driver of a one-star rated vehicle is twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than the driver of a five-star rated vehicle. 

“The results show us how easy it is to mistakenly purchase an unsafe used car, when a five-star rated vehicle would have cost you the same.”

The Used Car Safety Ratings are calculated by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre and are based on police-reported road crashes across Australia and New Zealand between 1998 and 2017. 

Safety features such as airbags and the types of seatbelts in a vehicle, its structural design and size and weight all contribute to its safety rating.

Cars named “Safer picks” are better at protecting not just their occupants, but other road-users such as motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians and drivers in other vehicles.

Mr Forrest said this year’s guide proves you don’t have to compromise on safety, with many top-rated second-hand vehicles available for under $10,000.

“Worryingly, many of the lowest-rated used cars are popular choices for new drivers, meaning those with the least experience are getting around in some of the most dangerous vehicles on our roads.

“Young drivers are extremely vulnerable, so it’s never been more important for them and their parents to do their research and make the safest choice possible,” Mr Forrest said.

RAC is a supporter of the Used Car Safety Ratings research program by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre in partnership with motoring clubs across Australia and New Zealand, and Australian State Governments.

2019 Used Car Safety Ratings – Selection of top rated vehicles

*Prices sourced from publicly available used car listings in Western Australia, August 2019

Visit the RAC website for the full 2019 Used Car Safety Ratings guide.

RAC Media Contact: Caitlin Barr, 0401 703 719 or media@rac.com.au