The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), Australia and New Zealand's independent vehicle safety agency, has implemented several new rules and assessments, reported the Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA).

The protocol changes became effective January and include:

• Vehicle Submergence: ANCAP will now consider manufacturer data on a vehicle’s ability to withstand submersion, given the prevalence of floods and the emergence of electric vehicles with operable windows after submersion.

• Child Presence Detection: Systems to detect and alert the presence of children inadvertently left in vehicles.

• Direct Driver Monitoring: Utilizing advanced technologies to monitor driver attention and fatigue through facial recognition and other vehicle inputs.

• Motorcycle Detection: Extending existing autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems to detect and react to the presence of motorcyclists, improving their safety on the roads.

• Vehicle-to-Vehicle Compatibility: Evaluating compatibility between different vehicles to mitigate crash risks.

• Pedestrian and Cyclist Protection: Assessing protection offered to vulnerable road users in case of contact with vehicles.

• Speed Assistance Systems: Verifying the vehicle’s ability to read and interpret speed signs on the road.

Using a star rating to indicate relative safety of similar-sized new vehicle makes, models and variants, ANCAP crash-tests cars and conduct performance assessments on safety features and technologies.

The 30-year old agency’s physical crash tests involve frontal offset, front side impact, oblique side polar, and pole side impact tests, among others. Active safety assessments focus on crash avoidance technologies, such as pedestrian and cyclist detection, emergency lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, and speed assistance systems. These tests, coupled with manufacturer-provided data, form the basis for ANCAP’s safety ratings.

A five-star ANCAP safety rating indicates a vehicle has met high safety standards and incorporates advanced safety technologies in adult and child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection, and safety assist.

AfMA also offers fleets a range of Drive Safety Resources, including online driver safety courses and vehicle safety animations. The resources, designed for designed for drivers of any passenger, SUV or light commercial vehicle, are available on the group’s website.