The Bharat NCAP rules are in line with the global NCAP; however, there are some India-specific tweaks based on our road and driving conditions

India has taken a significant step towards passenger safety with the introduction of the Bharat NCAP. Now, cars sold in India can be crash tested in the country to receive a safety rating. However, this rating system remains voluntary for manufacturers, who must still meet basic regulatory requirements to be road legal. The Bharat NCAP will be effective from October 2023.

Until now, crash-test ratings for cars made in India were awarded by the Global NCAP as part of the “Safer Cars For India” program. After 10 years of sharing safety ratings for new cars sold in India and observing a shift among buyers towards cars with higher ratings, the BNCAP used GNCAP standards and protocols to set its own benchmarks.

Which Parameters And Assessments Are Similar?

Both versions of the NCAP include the following tests:

• Frontal Impact: The front offset barrier tests are conducted at a speed of 64kmph to evaluate the impact on head, neck, chest, pelvis, and knee regions.
• Side Pole Impact: The side pole impact test is performed at a speed of 29kmph, and a car must be equipped with six airbags to pass this test.
• Side Barrier: At a speed of 50kmph, a barrier rams into the side of the car to evaluate the damage to the passengers.
• Electronic Stability Control: ESC is an active safety feature that prevents tire skidding, and cars must be equipped with ESC as standard.
• Pedestrian Compliant Front Design: Cars are mandated to have a pedestrian-friendly bumper and bonnet design to minimize pedestrian injury in case of an accident.

All cars must undergo and pass these tests for higher safety ratings.

The front offset tests will continue to be conducted at a speed of 64kmph, while the side barrier and pole tests will be performed at 50kmph and 29kmph, respectively. Similar to the GNCAP rules, the Bharat NCAP also considers the structural integrity of the car and its safety assist technologies.

To achieve a 3-star safety rating or higher, cars must be equipped with six airbags, electronic stability control, and front-row seat belt reminders. Failure to include any of these features may result in a deduction of points in the assessment.

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Same Scores And Star Ratings

The scores will remain the same, ranging from one to five. Here are the minimum scores required for each star rating:

While following the procedures of the global NCAP, the Bharat NCAP will also include some India-specific modifications regarding the weightage given to individual parameters when deciding the final score.

What’s Different?

Since the Global NCAP is ahead of the newly introduced Bharat NCAP, there are some safety parameters not included in the latter at this time.

One key difference is the mandate for rear seat belt reminders for higher safety ratings. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for the Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways, had previously stated that rear seat belt reminders would be compulsory, leading several manufacturers to update their cars with this feature.

While the tests are largely based on global NCAP guidelines, the government has also taken into account Indian driving conditions and roads.

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Ratings Will Be On Show

Finally, all cars tested by the Bharat NCAP will carry a sticker displaying their adult and child safety rating. The model, variant name, and test year will also be mentioned on the sticker. Unlike promotional materials, this sticker is likely to be applied to cars that score lower than four stars from the BNCAP.

The government plans to keep updating the testing procedures. The crash test agency intends to add a rear crash impact protection test and the presence of select ADAS features (lane departure warning, brake assist, and autonomous emergency braking) as mandatory for evaluation.

Many manufacturers have already lined up for the Bharat NCAP crash test ratings. This move will encourage manufacturers to focus on passenger safety and reduce road accident fatalities. We expect to see several cars undergo crash tests once the system becomes effective in October 2023.