Check the safety rating before you buy

A new road safety campaign is urging drivers to make safety the top priority when buying a vehicle.

There is twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured in a three star ANCAP safety rated car compared to a five star rating. 

In today’s market, top safety rated vehicles are available in all categories and can accommodate most budgets. Over half of all new and used vehicles advertised online in South Australia today are rated with a five star ANCAP rating.

Buyers are urged to choose the highest star rating you can afford and a vehicle with features that offer the greatest protection in the event of a crash.

Young drivers have a much greater risk of being involved in a crash than more experienced drivers, especially in the first 12 months of solo driving. In South Australia, young people aged 16 to 24 make up 12 per cent of our population but account for 22 per cent of road deaths and 24 per cent of serious injuries.

National research has found that if all young drivers involved in crashes were driving the safest car available, the road fatality and serious injury rate for this group could be reduced by more than 80 per cent.

For more information on vehicle safety visit the Department's MyLicence website. A range of tools can help choose the safest car to drive, including the ANCAP New Car Star Ratings, the Used Car Safety Ratings and the My First Car Checklist.

The government continues to assist car dealerships in promoting ANCAP safety rating though the Stars on Cars program, which received international recognition last through the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

This is the third part of the Safer Driving Tips campaign, running until the end of May with advertisements appearing on radio, newspapers, magazines, various websites and social media.