Australia and New Zealand independent safety testing organisation ANCAP SAFETY has announced a new national road safety program targeting light trucks after recent record road tolls on Australian roads.
In an Australian first, ANCAP is working to elevate the safety of light trucks to levels closer to safety standards seen and expected in passenger cars, utes and vans.
The measure sees ANCAP compare the top three diesel light duty truck models in Australia and the leading electric model to identify any safety technology trends or gaps that can be fixed.
The announcement comes after Australian road fatalities reached a 12-year high in 2024 with 1,301 deaths, with light trucks being over-represented in Australian fatal and serious injury data. These vehicles make up less than three per cent of all registered vehicles on Australian roads yet are involved in approximately 15 per cent of all fatal crashes according to ANCAP.
Notably, more than 75 per cent of serious crashes involving light trucks have resulted in fatalities or serious injuries to other road users – those outside the truck.
In recent years, Australia has experienced a light truck popularity boom. The growing scale of online shopping and delivery demand since the pandemic, the affordable price point of the vehicle class, and the ability for many light trucks to be driven with a regular car driver licence have underpinned growth, and the increasing presence of light trucks on the roads.
Despite increasing in popularity, ANCAP says the breadth and proliferation of technology and safety features haven’t kept pace with other vehicle classes.
To combat this, ANCAP’s Light Truck ADAS Safety Comparison launched today seeks to bring greater accountability and safety standards to the light truck segment through a new assessment regime.
This program sees an expansion of ANCAP’s highly trusted and respected safety regime which offers consumers free, independent and trusted information to make informed decisions. ANCAP has been testing and rating the safety performance of passenger vehicles for over 30 years and this information has led to a dramatic improvement in the safety of these vehicles, ensuring Australian road users benefit from the highest safety standards.
“This is a new chapter for the segment and the first time light trucks have come under independent examination,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg says.
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“When it comes to road safety, the human cost of doing nothing is too great to ignore. We call on the entire industry to embrace this as an opportunity to prioritise improving the safety features in their vehicles and recognise the positive role they can play in making our roads safer for all Australians.
“While ANCAP has had a close eye on passenger cars, SUVs, utes and vans for many years, the presence and performance of safety features on light trucks has gone without scrutiny. If we are serious about making Australian roads safer, now is the time to close the gap and elevate the safety benchmark for light trucks.
“We acknowledge that each of the light trucks examined have been fitted with some safety technologies above those required by regulation and ahead of their mandating, but the unfortunate reality is light trucks are over-represented in road fatalities and serious crashes, so we can no longer afford to leave the performance of these safety features unknown or untested.
“Through this program we are aiming to drive positive change among the truck industry, fleet operators, and small business owners.
“The findings from this program are about laying a foundation. Establishing a safety baseline. And from that, we expect to see relatively quick voluntary improvements to the safety offering across this segment.”
The ANCAP move sees Australia’s three top-selling light trucks in the Isuzu N-Series, Fuso Canter and Hino 300 Series, together with the highest selling battery electric light truck in the Foton T5 selected in this inaugural comparison.
The model ranges of these four trucks account for 74 per cent of all new light duty trucks sold (10,788 vehicles) in 2024.
The focus of the comparison was to examine the availability and performance of the trucks’ active collision avoidance features. The features examined included the fitment and performance of low and high-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane support systems, speed assistance systems and occupant detection. Airbag and seatbelt fitment was also examined.
Each of the four trucks were purchased independently on the retail market and tested to the same standards and processes to ensure a fair, accurate and independent safety assessment. The purchase of these vehicles from dealerships is essential to ensuring ANCAP’s independent testing process, as it ensures the vehicles being tested are the same as a buyer would be receiving and driving on Australian roads.
Each of the four trucks were assessed at the Transport for NSW Future Mobility Testing & Research Centre – a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory – and their performance was examined against criteria and procedures refined with input from truck manufacturers and industry representatives.
ANCAP says inaugural insights show that advanced safety technologies are available for and can be fitted to light trucks, yet current generation systems are limited in functionality. With new and updated models expected to be introduced by truck manufacturers soon, the body says the opportunity exists for manufacturers to go beyond regulatory basics and provide their customers with the best products possible.
The findings from this comparison have been used to determine baseline performance benchmarks with performance gradings to be introduced from 2026.
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