Oz Dealers Display Wrecks in Safety Campaign

Seeking to include safety as a key part of the sales conversation, crash-tested vehicle wrecks are being displayed in new-car dealership showrooms across Australia.

It’s an initiative by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, with ANCAP CEO James Goodwin saying dealers are crucial advocates for the safety-testing program’s vehicle-safety message.

“Having consumers able to see, touch and even sit in a vehicle that’s been crash-tested – complete with deployed airbags and visible dummy contact points – is a unique experience,” Goodwin says in a statement.

A crash-tested Kia Stinger was the first to take up residence in a regional dealership, alongside its pristine equivalent on the showroom floor of Bathurst Kia, 125 miles (200 km) northwest of Sydney in New South Wales.

A Mazda CX-5, Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Kona, LDV D90 and Toyota Corolla also form part of ANCAP’s national display roadshow.

ANCAP consumer polling shows that among customers given safety information by dealers prior to purchase, the information played a direct role in the buying decision.

“We are stepping up our engagement with dealers, working with a range of vehicle brands, dealer groups and the Australian Automotive Dealer Assn. to provide consumers with a tangible example of vehicle safety,” Goodwin says.

“It is important we engage with dealers and consumers at the point of sale, and in particular, it is important we bring our display vehicles to regional dealerships as two-thirds of all road deaths occur in regional and remote areas.”

Goodwin says the introduction of automated-vehicle technologies means the car-buying experience also must change, to educate consumers on the benefits and function of safety-assist features.