Rightcar also offers star ratings out of six for a car\u2019s environmental features, including energy economy, carbon emissions and air pollution. Plus, it offers users a comparison tool, giving those at the start of their car buying journey the chance to size up the safety ratings for a variety of vehicles.<\/p>\n
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The chance of death or serious injury in a low-rated vehicle is around twice that of a high-rated vehicle, according to the NZTA (Photo: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Rightcar was launched to increase awareness about car safety, says Wylie. He believes it\u2019s as important as engine or tyre wear and tear when buying a car. That\u2019s because the outcome of a serious crash can be very different depending on the kind of car you\u2019re travelling in. \u201cThe percentage chance of death or serious injury in a low-rated vehicle is around twice that of a high-rated vehicle,\u201d says Wylie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The outcome can be different for other cars involved in an accident too. Rightcar offers a star rating for the impact a car can have on other road users. This, the website says, is the \u201cbest measure of how likely the vehicle is to protect people outside it in a crash\u201d.<\/p>\n
Rightcar\u2019s ratings aren\u2019t just based on lab tests, but on real-world crash data taken from accidents across Australia and New Zealand. Its vehicle ratings are updated at the start of December each year, and include factors that can\u2019t be seen, like a car\u2019s structure, design and integrity, and the materials that have been used to make the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I plugged in the number plate for the car we owned before our recent secondhand purchase, I was truly shaken to discover the station wagon my wife and I had used to ferry our kids about in as babies, then toddlers, and into their primary school years, received a safety rating of just one star.<\/p>\n
That means it could have become a potential death trap in a serious crash. Finding out you\u2019ve been driving around in a potentially lethal car can come as a shock, agrees Wylie. That\u2019s why using Rightcar to research your next car purchase is crucial. \u201cIt\u2019s about awareness,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A car with a one-star safety rating could be a potential death trap in a serious crash. (Photo: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Many may think they can\u2019t afford a car with a high safety rating, but Wylie says that\u2019s not necessarily the case. \u201cThere’s a lot of misinformation out there and safety doesn\u2019t necessarily cost more,\u201d says Wylie. \u201cGenerally, if you can afford a two-star car, you can afford a four-star car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just because a car is newer or more expensive, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s going to fare better in a serious crash either. \u201cIt\u2019s not related to age,\u201d says Wylie. \u201cThere are brand new cars out there that are low rated, and there are slightly older cars that are high rated.\u201d<\/p>\n
After talking to Wylie, I jumped on Rightcar again and plugged in the number plate for the car we recently purchased. It\u2019s a relief to find it scores a safety rating of five stars. \u201cThat means you are in the safest 20% of vehicles on the road right now compared to all other vehicles,\u201d says Wylie. \u201cThat\u2019s important because \u2026 you don\u2019t get to choose who you crash into.\u201d<\/p>\n
Getting five stars this time was purely chance. Safety wasn\u2019t something I had thought about. Next time I\u2019m buying a car it will be top of the list, and Rightcar will be a research tool I\u2019ll be using at the start of the journey, not at the end.<\/p>\n