Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) and Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) for safety of cars in India

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With a number of deaths taking place on the roads of India every single day, the Government of India as well as global organisations have been taking strides to reduce the risk and the number of deaths that occur on the roads of India. Apart from spreading awareness regarding the safety on the roads of India and to ensure that vehicle owners adhere to road rules and regulations, the Government of India is rolling out strict tests for car manufacturers in the country. Just like the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program), the Government of India is all set to roll out the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) which will ensure the safety of cars sold in India much before they are released in showrooms across the globe. The crash test will focus on the impact on the front and sides of the car, and adult as well as child protection features of the car. That said, let’s first discuss the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) followed by the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP).

Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program)

The Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) basically assesses the safety of the car on a global standard following a collision. The Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) runs crash tests for all the car models across the globe prior to be released in their respective showrooms. The crash tests focus on the structure of the body of the car, primarily the frontal and the sides of the car and also assess the protection of the car for adults as well as children. Cars are crash tested for 40% frontal collision, and based on how the car can withstand the collision, the car is given a rating between 0 and 5. If the car is poor in withstanding the frontal collisions, then they are given lower ratings as per the parameters set by the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program).

Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP)

Just like the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) crash tests to determine the safety of the car following an accident, the Government of India is all set to roll out its very own safety program, that is known as the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP). The program will be conducted for every car model that is manufactured in India and will be carried out in 4 different phases in crash tests labs. The norms and the testing parameters are set by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the crash tests will be conducted by the ministry of heavy industries. The car models that are set to be rolled out in the market will undergo a side impact test, frontal impact test at the speed of 64 kms/hr, rear impact test and lastly, pedestrian protection test. Just like the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) rates the car models following the crash test, the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) will also rate the cars manufactured in India following the crash test and those car manufacturers rolling out car models that fail the safety test will have to make amends for the car to be launched in the market.

Safest cars in India as per the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program)

Listed below are some of the safest cars in the country as per the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program):

• Volkswagen Polo

According to the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program), the Volkswagen polo initially failed the crash test and was rated 0, but came back strongly with a 4-star grading. The Volkswagen Polo earned a 3-star rating out of 5 stars in the child protection category.

• Toyota Etios Liva

Fitted with dual airbags, the Toyota Etios earned a 4-star rating by the Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program).

• Mahindra XUV 500

In the crash test that was carried out by the the Australian Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program), the car model aced with 16 out of 16 for the frontal and side impact crash test. The car was given an overall 4-star rating. The Mahindra XUV 500 comes with safety features such as traction control, hill descent control, 6 airbags, and anti-braking locking system.

• Hyundai Creta

Equipped with two standard airbags, the Hyundai Creta was given a 4-star rating by the Latin Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) following a crash test.

• Volkswagen Vento

The ASEAN Global NCAP (National Car Assessment Program) carried out the crash test for the Volkswagen Vento and the company earned a 4-star rating  out of 5 stars for the durability of its body structure following an impact.

Following the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP), all cars in India have to mandatorily be fitted with airbags, an anti-locking braking system, seat belt pretensioners, and other features that enhance the safety of the vehicle. Due to this and the recent long-term third-party insurance that has come into force since 1 September 2018, the price of cars sold in India are set to be hiked by a significant amount.