Overview
New Car Safety Assessment Program India NCAP, to be launched from 1st April 2023. It proposes a system of giving star ratings to automobiles on the basis of their performance in crash tests. According to an official statement, the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) is applicable to approved motor vehicles of type M1 (motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers, which includes eight seats other than the driver’s seat), whose gross vehicle weight is less than 3.5 tonnes, whether indigenously manufactured or imported.
The India NCAP rating will give an indication of the level of protection for consumers who assess the vehicle, the statement said. The vehicles for this program will be tested at testing agencies with necessary infrastructure.
Will serve as a consumer centric platform
In a series of tweets, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the India New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) will serve as a consumer-centric platform whereby customers can opt for safer cars based on their star-ratings. Will be able , Whereas there will be healthy competition among Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in India to manufacture safer vehicles. Gadkari said, I have now approved the draft GSR notification to introduce India NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme), in which automobiles in India will be given star rating on the basis of their performance in crash tests.
The Minister of Road Transport and Highways had emphasized that star rating of Indian cars based on crash tests is of utmost importance not only to ensure structural and passenger safety in cars, but also to enhance export-worthiness of Indian automobiles. Gadkari had said that India NCAP’s test protocol would be integrated with global crash-testing protocols incorporated in existing Indian regulations, allowing OEMs to test their vehicles at India’s in-house testing facilities.
The death toll in road accidents is very worrying
India will encourage NCAP manufacturers to voluntarily participate in the Safety Test Assessment Program and incorporate higher safety levels into new car models. The proposed rating would provide a one star rating ranging from 1 to 5 stars. The initiative aims to make speed safe in a total of 3,66,138 road accidents in the country resulting in 1,31,714 deaths during the calendar year 2020. Recently, Gadkari had said that the government aims to reduce the deaths in road accidents by 50. percent by 2024.