'Safer' car among the most costly

NOT SO CHEAP: Anne Berntsen's Nissan costs more than most vehicles to licence. PHOTO/ STUART MUNRO 200715WCSMREGO1

When reduced ACC levies for vehicle licensing came into effect this month, Wanganui woman Anne Berntsen expected considerable savings.

The new levies are tiered and aim to steer drivers toward safer cars. Mrs Berntsen reckoned her 2011 Nissan Qashqai ticked all the safety boxes.

The Nissan had a 5-star Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) safety rating, the best possible result, as well as a high safety rating from the manufacturer.

But on the new ACC levy rating bands, which go from one to four, her vehicle was classed at a band one, the lowest and therefore the most expensive to licence.

"I nearly fell over when they said $241," Mrs Berntsen said. "I said 'I'm going to look into this'."

The new ACC levies, which make up the largest portion of vehicle licensing fees, are based on crash data from 5.5 million reported crashes in New Zealand and Australia.

This crash data forms the Total Secondary Safety System (TSSI) developed by Monash University.

"We believe the TSSI system provides the most robust data available because it is based on real world crash data, so we use this as the primary source whenever possible," the ACC's Stephanie Melville said.

"The real world crash data rates the relative performance of vehicles in an accident, in protecting both their own drivers, other drivers and other unprotected road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

"It's about the risk and severity of injury to everyone."

She said the ANCAP safety ratings were based on simulated crash tests and not the real world.

However, cars less than three-and-a-half years old do use various safety ratings from simulated crashes.

It means the 2012 Qashqai, which has almost identical specifications to Mrs Berntsen's car costs about $100 less to licence. Even a 1991 Nissan Primera fits into band two and is cheaper.

Mrs Berntsen queried the system with ACC and hoped it would change next year. "They didn't really give me a satisfactory answer - I would like to see some evidence if that's the case. To me, it just seems unfair."