New Delhi. The increasing traffic has also led to a rise in the number of accidents in the country. Every day, there are horrifying news reports of car accidents that instill fear. In such a scenario, everyone wishes to have the safest car among all. Consequently, people now focus less on budget cars or those with higher mileage and prioritize cars with better safety features. As a result, the sales of such cars are increasing rapidly. Previously, everyone relied on the upcoming reports of the Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) to know about car safety, which involved crash tests to check whether the safety features of the cars were functioning properly and how much impact passengers inside the car sustained in case of a severe collision. Based on this, cars were given safety ratings and rankings. However, this process used to take a long time, and it was not mandatory for any company to conduct such tests.
Now, the government has taken a significant decision. It plans to conduct the crash tests of cars within the country itself and has initiated the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) for the same. The necessity of starting BNCAP and how it will benefit car companies is a major concern. The program is scheduled to begin from October 1, 2023, and car manufacturers will be required to get their vehicles tested under this program. Many companies have openly welcomed this decision of the Ministry of Road Transport. Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Skoda, and other companies consider it a bold step and express their support for BNCAP.
During the test, cars will be crashed at a predetermined speed, and the results will be assessed on a scale of 1 to 5, similar to the global NCAP test. The crash test will involve hitting the car from the front and the side at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour, using crash test dummies to observe the impact on passengers.
The need for BNCAP arises because while several organizations conduct crash tests, the Global NCAP is considered the most reliable one. Previously, companies had to send their cars to these organizations at their expense for testing. After the tests, companies used to release safety rankings based on the results, but this process was time-consuming, and the results were not available until long after the car’s launch. As a consequence, cars were hitting the roads without safety rankings. With BNCAP being established in the country, car companies will be required to undergo mandatory testing, and the results will be available promptly. This will allow customers to directly know how safe the car they intend to purchase is.
