ANCAP 5 Star vehicles will offer better occupant safety than 3 or 4 Star vehicles due to advances in safety assist technologies such as roll sensing side curtain air bags and stability control. While these additional safety measures will reduce the risk of a roll over, these vehicles will not have built in roll bars or stronger roof and pillar assemblies than a 3 or 4 Star vehicle.
No original equipment manufacturer has released a performance criteria or strength to weight ratio that will prevent roof crush and protect the occupants’ survival space should a fully laden vehicle roll over at speed. Until dynamic crash testing or real world roll over results prove that factory vehicle roofs are strong enough, ROPS will continue to be safety requirement to be considered.
It is important to note:
- Roof strength testing is not a requirement of an ANCAP 5 Star vehicle until 2014
- The new roof strength rating introduced in 2014 will be a marginal requirement which will not reflect the strength to weight ratio required to stop roof crush of a vehicle
- Acceptable roof strength testing is not a requirement of an ANCAP 5 Star vehicle until 2016
- ANCAP 5 Star vehicles do not have built in roll over protection