The Australian independent association ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) has approved a new regulation for testing vehicles for safety. From January 2023, it will include a mandatory underwater test.
The test will help determine how easy it is to get out of a sinking car. To achieve the maximum five-star rating, the driver and passengers of the vehicle must be able to use the power windows for 10 minutes after the vehicle has been submerged.
Manufacturers of vehicles that do not meet the new standards must provide passengers with the option to manually break or open side windows.
ANCAP test example
The current ANCAP protocol was implemented in 2020. It includes a frontal collision of a car with a deformable barrier mounted on a cart. In this case, the overlap is 50%, the car and the trolley move towards each other at a speed of 50 km/h. A frontal impact into a wall is also carried out at a full overlap and a speed of 50 km/h, a side impact by a 1.4-ton trolley from the driver's side at a speed of 60 km/h, a side impact against a pole at a speed of 32 km/h is simulated.
In addition, cars are evaluated in terms of injury risk when hitting a pedestrian, the risk of getting whiplash injuries of the neck when hitting a car from behind is checked, the operation of the auto-braking system and lane control is evaluated. As a result, a five-star rating is formed.
Source: Autoblog
