Is Your Fleet Policy Keeping Up with Vehicle Safety Changes?
WORDS BY ANBY ALCOMENDAS
Vehicle safety has evolved far beyond airbags, crumple zones, and traditional crash testing. Today, modern vehicles are increasingly defined by technologies that not only help drivers avoid crashes but also respond after a collision has occurred.
As these technologies mature, fleet managers face the challenge of incorporating these changes into their vehicle acquisition strategies.
At the 2026 Australasian Fleet Leadership and Education Summit, ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg gave a behind-the-scenes look at how ANCAP ' s assessment program is evolving and what those changes mean for fleet operators.
Changes to ANCAP’ s safety approach
One of the biggest developments is the introduction of ANCAP ' s new three-year assessment protocols, which came into effect in January 2026 and will remain in place until the end of 2028. The protocols align with Euro NCAP standards to provide greater consistency for vehicle manufacturers while reflecting the rapid pace of change in vehicle safety technology.
The traditional assessment model has also been restructured.
Rather than focusing on technical categories, ANCAP now evaluates vehicles across four stages of a crash:
• Safe driving
• Crash avoidance
• Crash protection
• Post-crash response.
The revised framework better reflects the entire journey of a crash, from supporting the driver during normal operation to protecting occupants and assisting emergency responders after a collision.
Moving beyond surviving a crash
Crash testing remains one of ANCAP ' s most recognisable activities. However, preventing crashes has become an equally important focus.
Advanced driver assistance systems( ADAS) are now playing a much larger role in vehicle safety assessments. Features such as adaptive cruise control, driver monitoring systems and emergency lane-keeping technologies are being evaluated not only on whether they function, but also on how effectively they operate in real-world conditions. ANCAP is also paying closer attention to the driving experience itself.
The organisation has found that drivers are concerned about how certain lane support systems can feel abrupt or intrusive. In response, ANCAP has developed methods to measure how these systems behave and how comfortable they feel during operation. This allows manufacturers to better understand what constitutes an effective intervention.
The goal is to ensure that safety technologies not only perform well in controlled environments but also function consistently across a wider range of driving conditions, including different lighting and weather scenarios.
34 ISSUE 60 AUGUST 2026 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU