NZTA wants buyers seeing stars

Motorists are being urged to make safety a top factor when choosing their next car, with the NZTA launching a new campaign to drive home the message.

The advertising and education campaign warns the public that the choices they make when buying cars could amount to “life-and-death decisions”.

The agency’s safe vehicles programme aims to get more Kiwis into cars with four or five-star safety ratings. 

Fabian Marsh, senior road-safety manager at the NZTA, says research shows vehicle occupants are twice as likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash in a one or two-star rated car than they are in one that’s five-star rated. “The numbers are clear, the higher the safety rating the more likely you are to survive in a crash.”

Safety ratings indicate the likely performance of your vehicle in a crash, from one to five stars. Four and five-star rated vehicles are the safest. About 41 per cent of the New Zealand light vehicle fleet has a one or two-star safety rating.

The national advertising campaign began this week and targets people seeking to buy a new or used car, encouraging them to make safety a top factor in any vehicle-purchasing decision. It also directs people to the Rightcar website, which provides safety ratings covering about 95 per cent of vehicles on our roads.

Marsh says with about 800,000 vehicles changing hands in New Zealand each year there’s potential to save lives and prevent serious injuries by encouraging people to buy cars with a good safety rating.

“We all make mistakes when driving, and some crashes are inevitable, but safer vehicles can save lives in crashes,” he explains. “Checking a vehicle’s safety rating before you buy isn’t often high on the list of priorities for many New Zealanders, and we’d like to see that change.”

The safe vehicles programme also includes industry education and information for buyers, and the AA is backing the campaign.

“Even though cars may not look or be priced that different, the reality is some are safer than others, and buyers need to know the difference,” says Mark Stockdale, AA’s principal adviser – regulations. “Regardless of budget, there will always be a safer option. The AA encourages motorists to buy the safest car they can afford.”

For more information on the NZTA’s campaign, click here.