Automobile Desk – Bharat NCAP 2.0: If you go to buy a new car in the Indian automobile market, then along with the mileage and design, you also pay special attention to the safety rating of the car. Till now it was believed that if the build quality of a car is strong and it has got 5-Star rating in crash test, then it is completely safe. However, this scale is going to change soon. The Central Government has made preparations to make the safety inspection of vehicles in the country more stringent and modern. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has indicated in the 66th annual conference of SIAM that plans are being made to implement Bharat NCAP 2.0 in the country, which can be started from October 2027.
Under the new system, now the safety of vehicles will not be limited only to the strength at the time of collision. In Bharat NCAP 2.0, safety will be assessed in three different phases—pre-accident, during accident and post-accident. That is, now it will also be seen whether such modern sensor or alert technology is present in the car or not which can prevent the accident before it happens. Along with this, at the time of an accident, full care will be taken not only for the safety of the passengers sitting in the vehicle but also of the pedestrians walking on the road. How easy it is to take the injured out of the vehicle after an accident and how quickly they can get medical help, this post-crash rescue process will also be made a part of the rating.
This step is considered very important in view of the approximately 5 lakh road accidents that occur every year in the country and the loss of approximately 1.80 lakh lives in them. According to statistics, 66 percent of the people who lose their lives in these accidents are youth in the age group of 18 to 36 years. The government believes that just making stronger iron or heavier bodies will not reduce the number of deaths, but for this the use of modern technologies like Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) will have to be increased.
The government is not limited to just the technology of vehicles, but is also working on implementing 'Graded Point System' in driving licenses to improve the habits of drivers. Under this, points will be deducted from the licenses of drivers who repeatedly break red lights or engage in dangerous driving. If the points fall beyond a certain limit, the license may be suspended or canceled forever. On the other hand, drivers who drive responsibly may be given financial benefits such as discounts on insurance premiums.
A major advantage of Bharat NCAP is its affordable testing cost. While the cost of getting a vehicle tested through Global NCAP abroad is around Rs 2.5 crore, in India NCAP this test is completed for just Rs 60 lakh. Due to reduction in costs, auto companies will be able to easily test their models and by using the safety technology created by indigenous startups, they will be able to launch better and safer vehicles in the market at a lower price.
