FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR AUSTRALIAN NCAP

Consumer research shows new car buyers want to consider vehicle safety before making a vehicle purchase decision. Vehicle safety practitioners can consider additional factors than the minimum standards set by regulations. These additional safety factors must be relevant to the requirements of an increasingly educated customer who has access to a wide range of safety data including that available on the Internet. To maintain relevance, Australian NCAP (ANCAP) must react to new customer issues, such as changes in new vehicle regulations, improvements in crash performance of cars in certain types of crashes, and the types of road crashes that contribute to road trauma. ANCAP must adapt to change and improve published material. It must add relevant tests that research shows contributes to improved occupant protection against vehicle crash injury. This paper also considers the future of Australian NCAP and the relevance to consumers of including car to car test, European side impact test, American side impact test, pedestrian impacts, and rollover tests. Vehicle manufacturers' criticisms of ANCAP are similar to those of other international NCAP groups and some responses are given. Consumers are asking for relevant product safety information to make an informed vehicle selection choice. ANCAP information must adapt and change to meet these changing consumer demands. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD E102514.