Push for clearer car safety ratings
Safety ratings should be displayed on every car sold in WA to save lives and improve overall vehicle safety, according to the RAC.
RAC general manager corporate affairs Will Golsby said yesterday there was no requirement to show safety ratings in car yards, unlike the energy labels on whitegoods, though this information could save lives.
The RAC said safety ratings for more than 420 vehicles were published online by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program but because they were not always visible at the point of sale, consumers did not always have access to them.
It said ANCAP ratings were based on globally recognised crash tests that measured occupant protection in serious front and side crashes.
This year, a car with the top five-star rating would have front and rear side airbags, electronic stability control and four other safety features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking.
About 83 per cent of passenger cars sold in Australia last year had a five-star rating, compared with one-third of light commercial vehicles. The RAC said it would be wrong to presume all new cars were safe and had the top rating.
Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said the Government did not support extra regulations for vehicle dealers that could increase prices.
