Australasia’s independent voice on vehicle safety, ANCAP, is broadening its test and rating criteria.

From January 2023 ANCAP, which shares common test and rating protocols with its European counterpart Euro NCAP, will expand its criteria by adding new and updated tests and assessments to its star rating regime.

The changes form part of ANCAP and Euro NCAP’s regular regime enhancements which encourage continual safety improvements every few years. The previous step-change in criteria took effect from January 2020.

“Our 2023 requirements build upon our existing criteria to promote further vehicle safety improvements and address some of the ongoing challenges on our roads,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.

ANCAP’s expanded 2023 test and assessment criteria will include new areas such as the ability of a vehicle to avoid a crash with a motorcyclist, child presence detection, and vehicle submergence.

Several existing assessment areas will also be enhanced, including:

  • A heighted focus on vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility (introducing a potential 8.00 point penalty compared with the current 4.00 point penalty)
  • A 10 per cent increase to the star rating thresholds for Vulnerable Road User Protection
  • The assessment of direct driver monitoring systems to manage driver inattention and fatigue
  • An expansion of autonomous emergency braking test scenarios to include additional night-time tests and child pedestrian avoidance tests when a vehicle is in reverse.