2020-2021 Used car safety guide released
The Road Safety Commission encourages prospective car buyers to consider safety first, with the release of the latest Used Car Safety Ratings Guide (UCSR).
The annual guide provides the latest star rating information for a range of used vehicles, determined through a statistical analysis of real-world crash data undertaken by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), on behalf of members of the Vehicle Safety Research Group including the Road Safety Commission.
The research evaluates data from more than eight million vehicles involved in police-reported crashes across Australia and New Zealand, with ratings between one-star to five-stars assigned, identifying the makes and models that provide better protection for drivers based on a vehicle’s size, weight, design and safety features.
Key Highlights
- 362 vehicle models were rated, with 50 allocated a 5-star rating with 25 of these awarded a ‘safer pick’ status.
- A large number of the ‘safer pick’ vehicles and 5-star rated vehicles more broadly are available second hand for under $15,000 and many for under $10,000.
- There are a further 48 vehicles in the good (4-star) category meaning that there is a wide range of vehicles with excellent or good safety performance available for purchase in the market at a range of prices.
