What do the star ratings mean?

Safety ratings explained

ANCAP safety ratings are determined based on a series of internationally recognised, independent crash tests and safety assessments shared by ANCAP and our European counterpart, Euro NCAP. Each star rating is determined following a series of destructive physical crash tests, an assessment of on-board safety features and equipment, and performance tests of active collision avoidance technologies.

Vehicles are evaluated against four key assessment areas, or 'pillars':

KEY ASSESSMENT AREAS

Adult Occupant Protection

Child Occupant Protection

Vulnerable Road User Protection

Safety Assist

A range of tests and assessments are conducted for each assessment pillar, with vehicles required to meet minimum score thresholds for each star rating level. Importantly, the overall star rating of a vehicle is limited by its lowest performing pillar of assessment to encourage vehicle manufacturers to offer balanced safety performance across all areas.

To achieve the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating, a vehicle must perform to the highest level across all key areas of assessment.

ANCAP Safety

Adult Occupant Protection

Maximum Score

40
Frontal impact (MPDB)8
Frontal impact (full-width)8
Side impact (AMDB)6
Side impact (oblique pole)6
Side impact (far side)4
Whiplash (front)3
Whiplash (rear)1
Rescue and extrication4

Minimum %

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
zero stars
0%
ANCAP Safety

Child Occupant Protection

Maximum Score

49
Dynamic tests (frontal & side)24
CRS installation12
Vehicle-based assessment13

Minimum %

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
zero stars
0%
ANCAP Safety

Vulnerable Road User Protection

Maximum Score

63
Head impact (adult, child)12
Head impact (cyclist)6
Leg impacts (upper & lower)18
AEB/AES (pedestrian)7
AEB (pedestrian reverse)2
AEB/AES (cyclist)9
AEB (motorcycle)6
LSS (motorcycle)3

Minimum %

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
zero stars
0%
ANCAP Safety

Safety Assist

Maximum Score

18
Occupant status (SBR & driver monitoring)3
Speed assistance system3
AEB Interurban/AES (car-to-car rear)4
AEB/AES Junction Assist and car-to-car crossing4
AEB/AES car-to-car (head-on)1
LSS (car-to-car)3

Minimum %

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
zero stars
0%

The simplest way to see how your vehicle stacks up when it comes to safety is to check how many stars it has earned. Today, the majority of new vehicles sold achieve a 5 star rating – an excellent achievement by vehicle manufacturers to ensure they provide their customers with the safest vehicles possible.

Look for a vehicle which holds a maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating with the latest datestamp.
The datestamp identifies the assessment criteria a vehicle has been tested against.

Every three years, the tests and test criteria we use to rate vehicles become harder to meet so that all road users can benefit from safety improvements. Checking the “TESTED” datestamp ensures you are comparing vehicles rated to similar test criteria. ANCAP recommends that you choose a vehicle with the highest safety rating possible, with a datestamp of no older than six years.

Provides a high and balanced level of safety performance across all assessment areas. Equipped with a range of passive safety features and active safety systems to protect or minimise injury to occupants and other road users

Provides an adequate level of safety performance yet fell short in one or more key assessment areas. May present a higher injury risk to occupants and/or other road users in certain scenarios or have a reduced ability to avoid a crash.

Provides a reduced level of safety performance. Structural failures or severe cabin intrusion may occur in a crash. Higher likely risk of injury to occupants and/or other road users. May offer limited collision avoidance capability.

Provides limited safety performance. Likely to be lacking a number of, or show inadequate performance of its, modern collision avoidance technologies. May pose a risk of serious head and body injuries to occupants in a crash.

Provides a low level of safety performance. May offer lower protection in the event of a crash and/or may lack the ability to avoid a crash through omission or basic performance of active safety systems.

Zero Stars

Provides a poor level of structural and/or active safety performance. May lack basic safety features.

For those looking for additional detail, performance scores for each of the four key assessment areas are published as a percentage.

ANCAP Safety

Adult Occupant Protection

0%
33.81 out of 38
ANCAP Safety

Child Occupant Protection

0%
39.73 out of 49
ANCAP Safety

Vulnerable Road User Protection

0%
36.76 out of 54
ANCAP Safety

Safety Assist

0%
11.82 out of 16

What’s the safest car for me?

Rating Validity

Vehicles rated by ANCAP are generally subject to a six year period of rating validity. This aligns with the general lifespan of passenger vehicles and ensures ratings between vehicle models can more easily be compared.

The majority of vehicle models will be replaced by all-new models within this six-year timeframe, but where they aren’t, ANCAP encourages vehicle manufacturers to upgrade the safety features and technologies within those vehicles to ensure they continue to provide the best levels of safety for new car buyers.

Unrated Vehicles

In some cases, ratings may not be available for all vehicle makes, models and variants. In these cases, these models are classified as, ‘unrated’. Where a vehicle is ‘unrated’, its safety performance is untested and hence unknown. The safety performance of a vehicle cannot be assumed or inferred based on the safety performance of other similar vehicles that are rated.

If you can’t find an ANCAP safety rating for your car and would like to check if there is one available, contact us.

Vehicles have evolved, and so has ANCAP

Innovation doesn’t stop, and as such, cars are getting safer and smarter. In recognising this, ANCAP’s test and rating process has also evolved. The criteria we use to rate vehicles have increased incrementally over the past three decades, and today, these criteria are updated every three years.

To learn more about the evolution of ANCAP and how vehicle safety is changing...

5 star rated vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2016
Safe
5 star rated vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2019
Safer
5 star rated vehicle tested by ANACP in 2022.
Safest