The global auto market has a number of New Car Assessment Programmes (NCAPs) to rate the safety of new cars. We have the ASEAN NCAP, Euro NCAP, Latin NCAP, and Global NCAP. And now, India is in works to introduce its own car rating system, Bharat NCAP.
India’s Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari says the Bharat NCAP will be in line with Global and Euro NCAPs. The program will look into the safety of new cars and assign them star ratings.
Over 150,000 road accidents take place in India each year. The Indian government is determined to reduce 50% road accidents by 2025. They will be introducing the Bharat NCAP to ensure safety standards in all vehicles.
The Indian government has made it mandatory for all new vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers to have at least six airbags, three-point seat belts, and an automatic emergency braking system (AEBS). The Indian automakers have been given the deadline of October 2022 to comply with these safety requirements. But the companies have asked for more time to ensure the said safety features in all cars.
NCAP Assessment Protocols
The global NCAPs pass new car models through a number of crash tests to evaluate their safety on four levels.
- Adult Occupant Protection
- Child Occupant Protection
- Pedestrian Protection
- Safety Assist Systems
If the Bharat NCAP follows the same guidelines as the Euro, Latin, and Global NCAPs, it will have similar safety evaluations. So far, no time frame has been given for the launch of Bharat NCAP, but the new system will be here soon.
Many Indian car models have gone through the Global NCAP. As per the current ratings, homegrown Indian automakers Tata and Mahindra have some of the safest cars. Let’s see how the safety ratings go with the Bharat NCAP once launched.
