Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched Bharat’s new car assessment program today in Delhi to improve road safety and car standards. This is going to be the first-ever dedicated car crash safety program in India. Bharat NCAP aims to make cars safer in the country, which will eventually lead to minimizing road accident-related deaths and injuries.

India will be the world’s fifth country after the US, China, Japan, and South Korea to have a dedicated car crash safety program. The launch of Bharat NCAP aims to improve road safety by raising the safety standards of motor vehicles to 3.5 tonnes in the country, claimed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The government says that the new initiative could also place Indian cars in a better position in the global market and improve the country’s export potential.  

5 things you should know about the Bharat NCAP

  1. Under the Bharat NCAP program, car manufacturers will be able to give their cars for voluntary testing under the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. Post which, they will be awarded star ratings for both adult and child occupants.
  2. Vehicles will get star ratings for Adult Occupant (AOP) and Child Occupant (COP) based on their performance test, which can be used by the customers in making the right purchase decision. This will help to know to what extent a car may suffer damage in the event of an accident.
  3. According to the report from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the government expects that with new Bharat NCAP ratings, ‘demand for safer cars will increase, encouraging the car manufacturers to comply with customer need’.
  4. As per the Bharat NCAP rules, car manufacturers have to apply Form 70-A to a designated agency of the central government, reported PTI.
  5. The designated agency will assign star ratings to the vehicles and update the ratings from time to time. It all will be uploaded to a portal designated by the agency.

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