After years of declining, the trend has reversed.

Why?

The experts are analysing and reanalysing the data and a few fact based theories have surfaced.

Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has come up with one.

“As Australasia’s authority on vehicle safety, ANCAP has explored possible reasons for this shift, with recent analysis of the Australian registered light vehicle fleet revealing older vehicles are over-represented in fatal vehicle crashes, and the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash is increasing,” an ANCAP spokesperson said.

“Across 2015, 2016 and 2017, the average age of registered passenger vehicles and SUVs in Australia remained constant at 9.8 years, yet:

“In 2015 the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash was 12.5 years.

“In 2016, the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash was 12.9 years.

“In 2017, the average age of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash was 13.1 years.

“The oldest vehicles, those built 2001 or earlier, account for 20 per cent of the fleet, but are involved in 36 per cent of fatalities.

“In contrast, the newest vehicles, those built 2012-2017, account for 31 per cent of the fleet, but are involved in just 12 per cent of fatalities.

“The rate of fatal crashes per registered vehicle for the oldest vehicles is four times higher than that of the newest vehicles.”

ANCAP has released dramatic ads and video showing the results of a head on crash between a 1998 and  2015 year model cars.

If you haven’t seen the video you can access it on the ANCAP website.

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