Who is ANCAP?
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is an independent organisation who crash test vehicles to find out how well they protect occupants in serious accidents.
These test results form the basis of a star safety rating system which allows consumers to make informed decisions about the vehicles they choose to drive.
What is the Testing Procedure?
The ANCAP Test is not one test, but three: frontal offset, side impact and pole impact. These tests are conducted in accordance with international standards at approved Australian laboratories.
The information gathered considers the injury outcomes to the driver and front passenger’s head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and upper and lower legs. These results are converted into a score for occupant safety with bonus points given for safety features, such as seatbelt reminders.
The score is then translated into a star rating between 1 and 5. The higher the stars, the safer the vehicle. And the more knowledge you have on how well your van will protect you in a crash.
Understanding the ANCAP test
| Star rating | Minimum score in front offset test | Minimum score in side impact test | seatbelt reminder bonus points (maximum) | pole test (maximum) | Minimum combined score (including pole test and seatbelt reminders) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 12.5 out of 16 | 12.5 out of 16 | 3 | 2 | 32.5 |
| 4 | 8.5 out of 16 | 8.5 out of 16 | 3 | - | 24.5 |
| 3 | 4.5 out of 16 | 4.5 out of 16 | 3 | - | 16.5 |
| 2 | 1.5 out of 16 | 1.5 out of 16 | 3 | - | 8.5 |
| 1 | - | - | - | - | 0.5 |
