In 1999 the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) aligned its test and assessment protocols with Euro NCAP and began issuing safety ratings, with a maximum rating of 5 stars. In effect, to achieve 5 stars, the vehicle needed good frontal offset crash test performance and good head protection in intrusive side impacts. The rating system awards bonus points for intelligent seat belt reminders and, recently, requires certain safety features such electronic stability control (ESC) and emergency brake assist (EBA).

The proportion of models achieving a 5-star safety rating has gradually increased from zero in 2002 to an estimated 75% of models on sale in 2014. This paper presents an analysis of trends with safety ratings and the uptake of key safety features during this period.

This paper also provides estimates of future savings due to the penetration of 5-star vehicles into the Australian vehicle fleet.