Safety of Cars will Increase with Launch of Bharat NCAP on 22 August

Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) will be launched on August 22 to increase the safety of cars in the country. The Central Government said on Sunday that passenger vehicles manufactured and sold in the country will have to follow the new safety regulations. The new safety regulation will be implemented across the country from October 1.

The Road, Transport and Highways Ministry said that Bharat NCAP will be an important step in improving road safety in the country. Under this, safety standards have been increased for motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. The Ministry has said that this will make it easier for car buyers to assess the crash safety of motor vehicles available in the automobile market. Under Bharat NCAP, car makers will be able to voluntarily get their cars tested. Star ratings will be given based on the car’s performance in crash tests. Before buying a car, customers will be able to compare the safety standards of different vehicles by looking at these star ratings.

The demand for safer cars is expected to increase after the implementation of new safety regulations. This will also encourage car makers to follow Bharat NCAP for manufacturing safe cars. The ministry hopes that with higher safety standards, the demand for domestically made cars will increase in the international market.

A minimum of six airbags will be made mandatory in all passenger cars (M1) categories from October 1. The rule of six airbags in passenger cars for automobile companies was to be implemented last year but it was postponed. The automobile industry had requested the government to reconsider this rule as it would increase the manufacturing cost of vehicles. In the draft notification issued in this regard, it was said that at least six airbags will have to be installed in M1 category vehicles (up to 8 seats). This rule will affect budget to mid-range vehicles which do not have airbags for rear seat passengers. After the implementation of this rule, safety in vehicles for passengers will increase. Two airbags are already mandatory for passenger cars. The average cost of adding four airbags will be Rs 8,000-10,000. Apart from this, automobile companies will also have to spend on modification. This will increase the cost of the vehicle by approximately Rs 30,000.