Emissions ratings released

The Rightcar website has been updated to give consumers extra information about cars they want to buy.

Vehicles that have been identified as “safe and clean” have four or five-star ratings for safety and five or six stars for their carbon emissions. Both scales start at one.

The changes are part of a campaign being spearheaded by Waka Kotahi to encourage New Zealanders to buy the cleanest and safest cars they can afford when making their next purchase.

Safety ratings published on Rightcar also now include more comprehensive information about the impact vehicles have on all road users. 

The update includes driver safety scores as well as “overall safety” taking into account all road users, including people in other cars, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

“Improving safety on New Zealand roads is a top priority for us,” says Kane Patena, director of land transport at the transport agency.

“Waka Kotahi is committed to Vision Zero, which aspires to a New Zealand where no-one is killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

This policy encompasses safer speeds, improving roads and roadsides, and safer driver behaviour.

“Improving the safety of vehicles driven on our roads is a key part of our work to create a safer and more forgiving transport system where simple mistakes don’t result in deaths or serious injuries,” adds Patena, pictured. 

“People are increasingly placing more importance on safety in vehicle buying decisions. 

“We are continuing to encourage people to buy the safest, cleanest, most efficient vehicle in their price range.

“As we transition to a low-carbon transport system, we also need to ensure walking and cycling are safe travel options, so it’s great that vehicle-safety ratings now take the safety of cyclists and pedestrians into consideration.”

The site’s update includes an annual data upgrade, with Waka Kotahi publishing the latest safety ratings for all vehicles in New Zealand. 

The latest ratings available from ANCAP for new vehicles have been published.

Other rankings – the Used Car Safety Ratings and Vehicle Safety Risk Ratings – have been adjusted against the latest safety benchmark for 2020.

This has been assessed by the accident research centre at Monash University in Victoria, which has a database of eight million crashes in New Zealand and Australia. 

To find vehicles with high safety and environmental ratings, visit www.rightcar.govt.nz/safe-and-clean.