The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, commonly referred to as ANCAP, has launched a national community awareness campaign that shows how new vehicle safety technologies such as autonomous emergency breaking (AEB) and lane support systems (LSS) can potentially stop serious crashes occurring.
The campaign entitled ‘Let’s Re-Write the Ending’ utilises real-life dashcam footage of two common crash scenarios – run-off-road crashes and near-misses with pedestrians.
It shows how these types of crashes and the lives of the vehicle occupants and pedestrians can saved by driving a vehicle that will automatically break or avoid departing lanes.
ANCAP Director Communications and Advocacy, Rhianne Robson said these types of common mistakes and moments of inattention can be avoided with the help of these new technologies.
“The message is simple. Mistakes do happen, but today’s collision avoidance technologies can help turn a negative into a positive,” she said.
“The dashcam footage clearly demonstrates that everyday mistakes happen to everyday people, yet a mistake on the road – whether it be yours or someone else’s – does not have to be fatal.”
Road Safety Commission statistics reveal that run-off-road crashes involving one motor vehicle or motorcycle accounted for 71 per cent of fatalities in 2019.
In 2019, 16 pedestrians died on WA roads, with 56 per cent of these fatalities occurring in regional areas.
The campaign is supported by the Road Safety Commission and is currently airing across a number of WA TV stations.
