Lower your car theft and safety risk

The VSRG used car safety ratings are published by the Vehicle Safety Reference Group (VSRG) and show how well each vehicle protects its driver from death or serious injury in a crash. It is also important that a vehicle offers good protection to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, or drivers of other vehicles. Vehicles that provide excellent protection from injury for their driver as well as other road users in a crash receive a 'safe pick' rating.

The rating show that, on average, newer models provide their drivers with better protection from injury in a crash. These improvements come from better structural designs, an increase in the fitting of safety features such as front, side, curtain and knee airbags, more advanced seat belt systems and vehicle interiors built with more energy-absorbing materials.

Another consistent trend is that there is significant variation in the ratings within vehicle categories, even between vehicle models of the same age. Furthermore, some vehicle models, including recent ones, provide good protection for their drivers but present a high risk of injury to other road users in a crash. The rating assists buyers to select vehicles that provide the best protection for all road users including themselves.

These ratings are based on real-world crash data up until 2012, the latest available for producing these ratings. Many new vehicle models and some very low sales volume models of all ages are not covered by the rating due to the need for sufficient real-world crash experience to accumulate before a model can be rated accurately. Buyers considering a new or late model vehicle not listed in the rating, particularly in the light and small categories where safety performance has improved dramatically in recent years, should check the ANCAP safety ratings and look for a vehicle which holds the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating.

How are the used car safety ratings calculated?

Records from over 7 million vehicles in police-reported road crashes in Australia and New Zealand between 1987 and 2012 were analysed by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre. The ratings were calculated using an internationally reviewed method and are influenced by the vehicle's mass, the structural design of the body, and the safety features fitted to the vehicle, such as airbags and types of seat belts.

Each of the driver protection ratings in the 2014/15 update has been recalculated based on the most recent crash data available, so they are not comparable with the ratings published in previous years.

The score for each individual model can be compared against the ratings for all other vehicles.

The driver protection ratings are about the risk of death or serious injury to the driver of the vehicle in the event of a crash. The ratings are not about the risk of being involved in the crash in the first place, which is generally determined by a range of factors including vehicle technology, driver behaviour, vehicle condition and the road environment.

Won't certain vehicles score a good rating because of the types of people who drive them or where they are driven?

These factors were taken into account as much as possible when the data was analysed. The ratings were adjusted for factors such as driver gender and age, type of road user involved, speed limit at the crash location, number of vehicles involved, crash configuration, and year and location of crash. As far as possible the ratings are about the contribution of the vehicle to injury outcomes in a crash and not who was driving the vehicle or where it crashed.

What's the difference between used car and ANCAP safety ratings?

ANCAP safety ratings are determined based on data obtained through the simulation of common crash scenarios undertaken on new vehicles in a controlled laboratory. ANCAP safety ratings demonstrate a vehicle's level of occupant and pedestrian protection as well as their ability, through technology, to avoid a crash. The used car safety ratings are calculated using data from millions of police reports on actual crashes involving a range of drivers and all types of driving conditions.

The Used Car Safety Ratings listed are all calculated on a consistent set of criteria and all updated annually based on the most recent real world data. They can therefore be compared across all categories.

Any vehicle safety rating system can only provide an indication of the relative levels of protection between vehicles you can expect in the event of a crash. Whether or not you die or are seriously injured in a crash also depends on how safely you drive your vehicle and the particular crash circumstances.

There were 42,631 PLC vehicle thefts in Australia in 2013/14.

The theft risk star rating is based on the theft rate per 1,000 registered PLC vehicles manufactured from 1993 onwards, with each vehicle requiring at least 1,000 registrations nationally at 31 December 2013 to be included.

Vehicles with the lowest risk of theft during 2013/14 scored five stars and those with the highest risk received half a star. The medium risk category has a theft rate between 1 and 2 times the low risk category, while the high risk category is more than 2 times the low risk category.

It is important to note that the CARS theft risk ratings are based solely on car theft rates and do not reflect the security features of individual vehicles.

How are IAG’s car security scores different?

The IAG car security scores are published each year by Insurance Australia Group’s (IAG) Research Centre for new PLC vehicles currently on sale in Australia. IAG assign vehicles a score out of 100 based on three main criteria:

Criteria	Description	Score
Entry	Doors, ignition locks, alarms, rear seat/boot access and glazing	Up to 10
Immobiliser	Higher technology immobilisers attracting higher scores	Up to 50
Vehicle ID	Body stamping, security labelling and micro-dotting	Up to 40

These scores are based on various tests performed on the vehicles and its security and identification features built into the vehicle. They provide a valuable guide for drivers wishing to purchase a new car.

The CARS theft risk rating is a useful when purchasing a used vehicle as it is based on theft rates once vehicles 'hit the road' and take into account the number in the Australian registered vehicle fleet. It also provides separate theft rates for each State or Territory where there are sufficient registrations.

In both cases, it should be remembered that vehicles with the best security features can be stolen if the owner does not protect their keys. More key security information is available at car-security-begins-at-home.