Australian Government increases safety requirements for its fleet vehicles

Following National Road Safety Week, the Australian Government has upgraded the requirements of its Commonwealth Fleet Vehicle Selection Policy.

The policy, which dictates procurement criteria for Commonwealth Government fleet vehicles, now requires vehicles to hold not only a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but also a date-stamp within three years.

Previously, the policy required vehicles to hold a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but allowed a date-stamp of “no older than six years”. The latest update has “Strengthened the Government’s focus on safety for its employees and the broader Australian community.”

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“This is a notable and extremely positive move,” said ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg.

“The test and rating criteria applied by ANCAP to new vehicles sold in Australia increases in breadth and stringency every three years. We do this to encourage vehicle safety improvements so that consumers have access to the safest cars with the latest safety features and technologies.”

The Australian Government fleet consists of more than 10,000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Nationally, government buyers across various jurisdictions purchase a total of 34,500 new vehicles annually.

“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 it comes to shortlisting new vehicles for purchase,” Ms Hoorweg said.

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The Australian Government fleet consists of more than 10,000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles

In addition to the Australian Government’s policy, each of the state and territory governments, in addition to a broad range of large and small businesses, have five-star fleet vehicle purchasing policies in place.

At present, 58 new vehicles on-sale hold a five-star ANCAP safety rating within three years - either a 2024, 2023 or 2022 date-stamp. 40 of these are Low Emissions Vehicles, which are also prioritised under the Australian Government Fleet Policy.