Compromising for the sake of savings

Crash test results just published by ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) highlight the chasm between safety standards in passenger vehicles versus light commercial vehicles (LCVs).

In light of a poor safety result on the Great Wall Motors V200 4x4 single cab ute, ANCAP Chairman Lauchlan McIntosh made the following statement: “Price is of course one of the key factors when it comes to deciding which car to buy, but that shouldn’t mean we compromise on safety.”

The vehicle achieved just three stars under the rating scheme, while a model previously tested (GWM V240) only managed two. Neither score puts the vehicles at the top end of safety rankings. McIntosh suggests that LCVs are still being afforded regulatory concessions when it comes to safety and says “there is still no reason why LCVs should be built to lesser standards than passenger cars”.

Of the passenger vehicles tested under the ANCAP scheme this year, 90% have achieved a 5 star rating compared with a disappointingly low 55% of LCVs.

For more information on the star rating scheme, or to check out individual crash test results for almost 500 vehicles, visit ANCAP’s website.