New car buyers are being encouraged to make sure their next vehicle has potentially life-saving autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assist technology.
A new advertising campaign from independent crash-testing authority ANCAP uses real dash cam footage to show what can happen in two common crash scenarios: a collision with a pedestrian, and a run-off road crash.
“The message is simple. Mistakes do happen, but today’s collision avoidance technologies can help turn a negative into a positive,” said ANCAP director for communications and advocacy, Rhianne Robson.
“The dash cam footage clearly demonstrates that everyday mistakes happen to everyday people, yet a mistake on the road – whether it be yours or someone else’s – does not have to be fatal.”
A new Government proposal would have Australian Design Rules (ADR) introduced mandating all new vehicle models introduced after July 2022 have the potentially life-saving technology – which automatically slams on the brakes if it detects an impending rear-end crash – as standard.
All models on sale from July 2024 would need to feature the technology, in keeping with European regulations.
Although AEB capable of detecting pedestrians is necessary to earn a five-star rating with independent crash-testing body ANCAP, it’s not a legal requirement for carmakers in Australia.
According to ANCAP:
- 66 per cent of the new car models on sale in Australia currently have AEB as standard.
- 10 per cent reserve it for more expensive variants of a particular range.
- 6.0 per cent have it as an option.
However, the average age of cars on Australian roads is 10 years. ANCAP says just 6.0 per cent of passenger cars on the road today likely has AEB fitted.
“What we want to do through the rollout of this campaign is drive community awareness of the availability, function and benefits of vehicles fitted with these safety systems, and encourage consumer uptake of newer vehicles with these collision avoidance features to help save lives,” Mrs Robson added.
“We’re encouraging all motorists to check whether the car they currently drive, or looking to buy, is fitted with AEB or LSS through a simple search tool now available on the ANCAP website.”
