By Prashanth Doreswamy
The Road Transport and Highways Ministry data from 2022 shows speeding was responsible for 70 percent of road deaths in India (168,491 fatalities and 440,000 injuries) and failure to use safety devices was the second leading cause of deaths (50,000 for no helmets and 16,715 linked to no seat belts). Almost 90 percent of India’s passenger traffic and a majority 65 percent of its goods traverse through the country’s road network, as per WHO 1.19 million people lose their lives in road traffic crashes every year and India has the highest number of road fatalities globally with 11 percent of total deaths.
With the sudden rise in the number of vehicles, road safety has become crucial. Therefore, this has necessitated prioritising the introduction of safety technologies by the automotive industry in the country. The government has also undertaken many initiatives to improve the safety systems in vehicles by mandating safety technologies in new and old vehicles. For example, since April 2019, the fitment of ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) became compulsory for all vehicles 125 CC upwards. Furthermore, safety systems like front passenger airbags, speed warning systems, seatbelt reminder alarms, and rear parking sensors have been mandated for new and existing vehicles.
Given the grave on-road safety situation, India has always needed a dedicated regulatory body that can provide real-time safety ratings for vehicles. The Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) is an international initiative that undertakes the crucial task of assessing and rating the safety performance of vehicles. It offers stakeholders valuable insights into the safety features and also crashworthiness of vehicles. With an ambitious intent to establish a country-specific rating system, the BNCAP came into existence. The Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) reaffirms the commitment to global safety standards.
Bharat New Car Assessment Program
The Bharat NCAP has been framed on the latest Global NCAP protocols and shares most of its testing procedures and standards with it. A factor differentiating the two is the maximum Adult Occupant Protection (AOP). While Bharat NCAP awards a maximum AOP score of 32 points, a vehicle can score 34 AOP points in GNCAP. This difference arises because of additional points being awarded by GNCAP for front and rear seat belt reminders. The Bharat NCAP, based on AIS 197 would also mandate the installation of six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), three-point seatbelts for every passenger, improved emergency braking systems, etc. AIS-197 is a set of standardised crash test protocols introduced as a voluntary initiative for passenger vehicle manufacturers in India.
Creating an ecosystem for safe mobility
Meeting safety standards and regulations set by Bharat NCAP could mean changes in structural designs, materials, and manufacturing processes. The increased safety standards in vehicles will have a positive impact on numerous factors ranging from competition, local manufacturing, export potential, and rapid growth of the automotive and allied industries.
Technologies contributing towards safe mobility.
As technology advances, so will the evolution of safety standards. Cars in India feature the Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) universally, logically the next step in safer mobility involves a significant increase in electronic and software content. The journey towards safer roads can be democratised through innovation and by the integration of technologies into entry-level vehicles as well. Blind spot detection, lane change assist, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency brake, and driver drowsiness detection systems are some of the technologies that have the potential to add substantial value to safe mobility vision. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which are high-end features, will play a more critical role in ensuring safety on the roads. With the integration of ADAS into vehicles, safety standards in the future will become more stringent, pushing manufacturers to incorporate these technologies as standard offerings rather than value-added features. When airbags were first introduced, it was just a “nice to have feature” in high end cars but it has now become a safety norm
Safe mobility is a continuous and evolving path, and with every shift in the dynamics of mobility, user preferences, and infrastructure, newer challenges emerge. It is the collective responsibility of the industry to acknowledge, understand, and forecast these challenges and create a comprehensive framework to mitigate it. Collaboration is key here and this calls for a harmonious effort from OEMs, technology companies, Tier I suppliers, policymakers, industry bodies, government entities, and the community. BNCAP is a guiding beacon that will steer India in the right direction toward achieving the vision of safe mobility. Together, we can ensure that the road ahead is not only technologically advanced but, more importantly, consistently safe for all.
The author is the President and CEO, Continental India
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not represent those of The Indian Express Group or its employees.
