Expiration date on ratings

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is looking to introduce a ‘use-by’ date for the safety ratings of older cars, as part of revisions due in 2018 in the agency’s alignment with Euro NCAP. Ratings are currently date-stamped so that buyers looking at older cars can cross-reference models relative to their production year. ANCAP chief executive, James Goodwin, says a rating from 10 years ago is still valid when compared to similar vehicles. “We only introduced the date stamp in 2014, so we know we’ve got to do some more work to get that (message) out there. But that’s the new message; look for the five-star (rating) but also look for that rating year. “If we are assuming that people have a five-star car, what is it? Is it a (MY16), is it a 15 or is it a 14? If you are getting much older (vehicles) in a few years you might be wanting to double check whether it’s the most current rating.” He adds that from 2018, ANCAP will introduce an expiration date on tested cars. “It’s not to say that the rating can’t be updated, but if a car is getting (to be) six years old, it would pass the use-by date. If it’s not been changed, then that rating will expire and we’ll withdraw that from the market.” Goodwin says the change is designed to push automakers to continually improve the safety of cars that have been in the market for a while. “The reason to do that is not to punish that brand, but it’s actually to encourage them that when they do a facelift to the vehicle, don’t just put the new grille on it and add new colours; you should be upgrading safety as well.” He adds that when manufacturers ask for an update on their facelift, the car would be rated to the year they wanted it facelifted. “We will be assessing or reassessing vehicles against the year that the facelift occurs as well.” While ANCAP will be allied with Euro NCAP from 2018, Goodwin doesn’t foresee an end to local crash testing. “I don’t see that the mix of testing is going to change come 2018, we still have a responsibility to be testing those vehicles that come to the Australian market first and we will then be doing it for the rest of the world.”