Rightcar annual safety ratings update
Updated vehicle safety ratings are now available via the Rightcar website - a key tool in helping improve vehicle safety in Aotearoa.
On 1 February Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency released updated (2022) safety ratings for all used light vehicles in Aotearoa and published information about crash avoidance features in used imports for the first time.
Remember safety-ratings – which change over time - provide the best indication of how well vehicles will protect people involved in a crash. Research shows people are twice as likely to survive a crash in a 5-star safety-rated vehicle than in a one or two-star vehicle.
Crash avoidance features, such as Lane Keep Assist, help prevent a crash from occurring at all and are important for vehicle owners and buyers to consider alongside safety ratings. That’s why Waka Kotahi has sourced crash avoidance features data for used imports from relevant manufacturers (previously it was only available for NZ-new vehicles).
We all have a role to play in achieving the vision of a New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured in crashes on our roads. Your work plays a critical to ensuring vehicles are road-worthy. How else can you help?
- Choose the safest, cleanest and most efficient vehicle you can afford for yourself, your whanau or employees
- Remind others about the importance of vehicle safety ratings, which change over time, and the value of crash avoidance features
- Promote the Rightcar website and encourage pre-purchase inspections too.
If you have any questions or would like to order copies of our Rightcar brochure to display on site please email safevehicles@nzta.govt.nz.
Improving vehicle safety in New Zealand is a key part of Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy. Introducing safe speeds, improving the safety of roads and roadsides, and encouraging safer driver behaviour are other focus areas in creating a transport system where simple mistakes don’t result in deaths or serious injuries.