Safety can save lives — even in older cars

Roads and Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll said new figures from the Transport Accident Commission showed around two thirds of drivers and passengers killed on Victorian roads last year were travelling in vehicles aged more than 10 years.

“It is important when buying a car – whether it be new or used – not to overlook safety features that can step in and reduce the severity of a crash or help avoid one altogether,” he said.

“It’s a myth that you need to spend big bucks on an expensive new car. Whether you’re choosing a car for yourself or your family you can find a safe, affordable used car to suit your budget and needs – and it could save your life.”

Choosing safer vehicles is part of the Victorian Government’s bid to slash road trauma and reduce the average age of the state’s fleet.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program and Used Car Safety Ratings are free to access and provide the latest vehicle safety information to help people in the market make an informed choice.

Life-saving safety features people should look for include auto-emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, electronic stability control, and front, side, and curtain airbags.

Victoria worked with the Commonwealth Government to ensure all newly introduced models sold in Australia from March 2023 are fitted with autonomous emergency braking, which is expected to save dozens of lives across the country each year.

Getting people into safer vehicles is a key priority of Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023, which sets ambitious targets to halve road deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030.

People can see the latest ratings, look for information about vehicle safety features and check how safe their car is at howsafeisyourcar.com.au