As Australia marks National Road Safety Week, the Australian Government has shown leadership in further prioritising the safety of its employees by implementing an enhancement to its Commonwealth Fleet Vehicle Selection Policy.
The policy establishes procurement criteria for Commonwealth Government fleet vehicles and requires vehicles to hold a five-star ANCAP safety rating and a date stamp within three years.
The policy that was in place before this update was already sturdy. It required vehicles with a five-star rating and a date stamp no older than six years. This latest update reinforces the government’s focus on safety for its employees and the Australian community.
“This is a notable and extremely positive move,” ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg says.
“The test and rating criteria applied by ANCAP to new vehicles sold in Australia increases in breadth and stringency every three years. We encourage vehicle safety improvements so consumers can access the safest cars with the latest safety features and technologies.”
“The significance of this update to the Commonwealth’s fleet purchasing policy is that it provides a clear incentive for vehicle manufacturers to strive for five stars with new model designs and with model facelifts.”
“Australia is a relatively small market on the global stage, yet we punch well above our weight in terms of pushing to receive the safest vehicles. While it can be frustrating for some vehicle brands to push for the highest level of safety in vehicles supplied to Australia, policies such as this can reward them for their decisions,” she says.
In addition to the Australian Government’s policy, each state and territory government, as well as a broad range of large and small businesses, have five-star fleet vehicle purchasing policies in place.
“This best-practice update to the Commonwealth’s fleet purchasing policy shows clear leadership through action, and we encourage other fleets and private consumers to consider adopting the same approach when shortlisting new vehicles for purchase,” Hoorweg says.
The Australian Government fleet comprises 10,000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Nationally, government buyers across jurisdictions inject 34,500 new vehicles into the Australian car park every year.
Fifty-eight new vehicle models on sale hold a five-star ANCAP safety rating within three years – either a 2024, 2023 or 2022 date stamp. Forty of these are low-emission vehicles (LEVs), also prioritised under the Australian Government fleet policy.
