Bharat New Car Assessment Programme

Context- India is set to receive a car crash safety star rating from October 1, 2023.

Key Highlights 

• Automakers who manufacture vehicles in the country or import their vehicles from abroad must voluntarily conduct a safety test. 
• Crash test and safety ratings comply with Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-197.  
• The United States was the first country to introduce a program to test car safety standards using crash tests.  

What is Bharat NCAP? 

• • About: 
    • The Bharat New Car Assessment Program or Bharat NCAP is a safety assessment program for  new vehicle models sold or marketed in India. 

• Test parameters: 

• • The parameters of the security standard take into account various factors. 
  • These include evaluating the pedestrian-friendly design of the car, the structural safety of the vehicle, the provision of active and passive safety assistance technologies, and the safety of adults and children in the vehicle. 
  • Vehicles have stars from one to five, which determines the safety level of a particular car. 
• Voluntary process: 
  • Cars are tested only  at the request of the manufacturer. 
  • Voluntary NCAPs aim to encourage companies to offer more than  basic safety features by stimulating competition. 

Importance of Bharat NCAP 

• Original rating system: Bharat NCAP is expected to benefit domestic automakers as they will no longer need to submit their prototype vehicles to the global NCAP for crash testing and star rating. 
  • This brings India at par with other parts of the world like the US, Europe, Japan, Australia and Latin America, which have  their own NCAPs. 
• Vehicle credibility: This increases transparency, increases consumer awareness  and helps buyers choose cars based on their safety records. 
• Developing safer vehicles: It  also encourages automakers to adopt advanced safety technologies to get better ratings. 

Challenges 

• Extensive crash tests require special facilities with advanced technology and test equipment that require a significant financial investment. 
• Coordination between regulatory agencies, testing agencies and automakers is critical to a standardized and rigorous testing process. 

Way forward 

• Addressing  inadequate transport infrastructure in metropolitan cities is essential to effectively support the implementation of Bharati NCAP  and ensure its positive impact on vehicle safety in India.

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