Used car safety ratings out

Motorists in New Zealand have a fresh set of information to help them assess the safety of their next second-hand vehicles with the release of the 2015 Used Car Safety Ratings Guide. It is updated every year and lists the performance of about 220 models based on real-world crash data in Australasia. This year, the guide shows 44 per cent of used vehicles assessed received an excellent or good rating for occupant protection in crashes. However, just 10 per cent – 21 out of 217 – of the models assessed earned a safe-pick rating, which means they also provide good protection for occupants in other vehicles, pedestrians and motorcyclists in the event of an accident. At the bottom of the rating system, 71 models were considered poor or very poor and shouldn’t be considered as a safe purchase. Stella Stocks, the AA’s general manager of motoring services, says the guide provides drivers with the latest possible information on used cars – the largest car-buying segment in this country – enabling them to easily assess which vehicle in any category will provide the best protection in an accident. “The ratings are based on reports from millions of actual crashes between 1987 and 2013 reported to police in New Zealand and Australia covering about 90 per cent of all popular passenger and light-commercial vehicles,” she says. “This provides a good range of choice for motorists. “As more data is collected on each of the vehicles in the guide, we’re able to provide motorists with the best information possible enabling them to buy the safest cars they can.” There are top-rating vehicles in every category and, for the first time, a vehicle in the light-car category has earned a rating of excellent – the Ford Fiesta made between 2009 and 2013. Stocks says some cars, especially later models, are missing from the guide. “Enough crash data is required on each vehicle to ensure the rating is robust. If a particular model hasn’t been involved in many crashes, then there’s not enough data to consider. In those cases, motorists should review a vehicle’s rating as a new car. “Motorists have a number of decisions as they consider the options for their next car. For many, price and functionality are usually at the top of the list. The Used Car Safety Ratings Guide enables motorists to consider crash performance and driver protection across a variety of cars in a specific category.” The AA and the NZTA are members of the Vehicle Safety Research Group, which commissioned the analysis of the data by the Monash University in Melbourne.