PARENTS and learner drivers on the Southern Downs can now ensure they are purchasing a five star safety rating vehicle thanks to RACQ's 2015 Used Car Safety Ratings.

The ratings were released earlier this week, highlighting more than 50 second hand cars were given five stars for driver protection.

RACQ Executive Manager Technical and Safety Policy Steve Spalding said it was excellent to see there was a five star rated car in all categories.

"It really does mean there are good options on the market for every type of motorist and their families when it comes to driver protection," Mr Spalding said.

"Encouragingly, over 20 vehicles scored a 'safe-pick' rating this year; these are the cars with both high levels of protection for the driver and are also those likely to cause less injury to other road users in a crash."

Some of the safest picks in the small cars class include Honda Civic 2006 to 2011, Toyota Prius II 2003 to 2009 and Subaru Impreza 2007 to 2011.

Ford Falcon FG 2008-2011 and Holden Statesman or Caprice 2003-1006 were in the top five for larger cars.

Mr Spalding said safety needed to be the highest priority when purchasing a used car.

"It may be tempting to put a young driver into an older and cheaper car whilst they're gaining driving experience but always remember their vehicle is the last line of defence," he said.

"Safety need not be compromised by price. Many of the top rating used vehicles can be bought for less than $10,000."

RACQ pointed out on their website that the notion of a safer vehicle being more expensive is a myth.

When purchasing an older vehicle, RACQ advises drivers to consider particular safety features including airbags, seat belts designed to work with airbags, crumple zones, collapsible steering columns and high strength materials.

More than 210 second hand cars were scrutinised by Monash University using data from more than seven million real-world crashes across Australia and New Zealand to determine the list of the safest used cars.

For more information or to view the list visit racq.com.au.