While buying a new car, we always look at its looks, mileage and features. But nowadays the most important issue is ‘car safety’. Before any car is put on the road, it is crash tested to check how safe it is for the passengers. These tests are conducted by Global NCAP or India’s own Bharat NCAP. So let’s find out what exactly is tested in a car crash test and how,
1. What is a crash test??
A crash test is a controlled accident to test the safety of a car. In this the car is rammed into a stationary wall or other vehicle at varying speeds (typically 64 km/h). Instead of people, statues that look exactly like humans are placed inside the car. These dummies are fitted with high-tech sensors, which record where and how severely the human body can be injured during an accident.
Why Dummies are used in Crash Test? You will be surprised to know the reason!
2. Main types of crash test
There are mainly three types of tests performed on cars to study impacts from different angles:
Frontal impact: It looks at what would happen if a car were hit from the front. A car hits a frontal barrier at a speed of 64 km/h.
Side Impact: If a vehicle hits a car from the side, the injury to the passengers is tested by a trolley moving at a speed of 50 km/h.
Pole crash test: It looks at whether the car’s roof and airbags can protect the occupants if the car skids and hits a pole or tree from the side.
3. What is checked during the test??
A crash test not only looks at the damage to the car’s sheet, but also checks many important things from ‘A to Z’,
Adult safety: The extent of injuries to the head, neck, chest and legs of the driver and the person sitting next to him is checked.
Child safety: The effect is observed on baby dummies (aged 1.5 to 3 years) placed in the back seat of the car. For this, they check how effective the ‘Isofix’ child seat anchor is in the car.
Performance of airbags: It is observed whether the airbags deploy within the precise microseconds of the crash and whether they protect the dummy.
Car design and cabin stability: Does the car engine go into the cabin after an accident? Does the passenger seat stay safe or does it get smashed? This is seen. If the cabin remains stationary, chances of survival are higher.
Locking of doors: Do car doors open easily after an accident or are they jammed? Because safety requires opening the doors to egress after an accident.
Just mileage and no engine! When buying a new car, you must have these 5 special features in your car
4. How to get star rating?
The car is rated between 0 and 5 stars after checking sensor readings and video footage of all tests.
5-star: The car is extremely safe and has the highest chance of saving lives in an accident.
0-star: The safety of the car is very poor and it is unable to protect the passengers in the event of an accident.
India has now launched Bharat NCAP (B-NCAP), which tests the safety of cars in Indian road and vehicle conditions.
Always check the crash test rating when buying a new car, because the features of the car may give you comfort, but a good crash test rating can save your life!
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