ANCAP welcomes new design rule

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has welcomed a positive step to improve road safety — new legislation to improve design standards for side impact crashes.

“This is a welcome development that will lift vehicle safety standards and go a long way to helping save hundreds of lives,” ANCAP CEO James Goodwin said.

The Australian Government has announced that a new Australian Design Rule (ADR) for Pole Side Impact Performance will commence for new model light passenger vehicles on 1 November 2017 and light commercial vehicles on 1 July 2018. The new ADR is in line with the United Nations Global Technical Regulation (GTR) 14.

“Australia should be proud of its international leadership to develop this global regulation, which will improve occupant protection in side impact crashes such as hitting a tree at the side of the road,” Goodwin said.

“ANCAP has required vehicles to undergo a pole side impact test since 2003 in order to be eligible for a 5 star safety rating, which has led to a significant increase in the fitment of curtain airbags, providing substantial reductions in injury in side impacts,” he said.

“We work to continually raise the safety bar in the vehicle fleet and will modify the pole side impact test from 2018 to make it more demanding for new vehicles to be able to earn a 5 star safety rating,” Goodwin said.

“I look forward to working with the Australian Government and the automotive industry as ANCAP moves to strengthen its rating protocols,” he said.

Further information can be downloaded here.

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