Bharat New Car Assessment Programme:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, has introduced the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP).
- This indigenous star-rating system aims to evaluate the safety of vehicles in the event of a collision, empowering consumers to make informed decisions while purchasing cars.
- This comprehensive program is set to come into effect from October 1, 2023, and will play a pivotal role in curbing the alarming number of road fatalities in India.
- Under the Bharat NCAP initiative, vehicles, particularly passenger cars, will be subjected to rigorous crash testing procedures, and based on their performance as per protocols laid down in the soon-to-be-published Automotive Industry Standard 197, they will be assigned a safety rating ranging from one to five stars.
- The programme is applicable to passenger vehicles with not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat with gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kgs.
- The test procedure involves Frontal Offset Test, Side Impact Test and Pole-Side Impact Test.
- This rating will provide consumers with a clear indication of a vehicle’s safety standards in the event of a collision.
- Bharat NCAP is voluntary, encouraging manufacturers to nominate their vehicles for testing, thereby driving the production of safer cars in the Indian market.
