Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari will launch the much-awaited Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) on 22nd August 2023. This launch will mark a step forward in the government’s commitment to improve road safety by raising the safety standards of motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. BNCAP is based on the updated Global NCAP crash test protocol.
This initiative aims to provide car customers to compare crash safety of motor vehicles. Under Bharat NCAP, car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their cars tested as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. Based on the performance in the tests, car will be awarded star ratings for adult Occupants and child occupant.
People looking to buy a car will be able to use these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different vehicles.The programme aims to develop a safety-sensitive car market in India
Demand for safer cars is expected to increase and it will encourage the car manufacturers to comply with customer needs. With high safety standards, Indian cars will be able to compete better in the global market, increasing the export potential of the car manufacturers in India.
Apart from Bharat NCAP , the central government is also working on making it mandatory for cars to have six airbags and three-point seatbelts for all passengers, including the rear middle seat.