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BHARAT NCAP

19th December, 2023 Economy

BHARAT NCAP

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Picture Courtesy: www.autocarindia.com

Context: The inaugural round of car crash tests under the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) has been completed. This initiative marks a crucial step towards enhancing vehicle safety in India.

Key points

  • Major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, and Kia India had their car models included in the initial batch of vehicles tested.
  • This voluntary program, officially initiated by the Union government, focuses on vehicles falling within the M1 category, with a gross weight of 3,500kg or less. This category encompasses passenger vehicles with up to eight seats, excluding the driver's seat.
  • Bharat NCAP mandates testing the base variant of any given model across three crucial safety domains: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and safety assist technologies.
  • Cars underwent a series of crash tests, including an offset deformable barrier frontal impact test at 64 kmph, a side impact test at 50 kmph, and a pole side impact test at 29 kmph. The results are used to rate the cars on a scale of zero to five stars, reflecting their safety performance.

Conclusion

  • The impending release of the crash test results holds substantial importance, as it will provide consumers with valuable insights into the safety standards of these vehicles. Furthermore, this initiative could potentially incentivize manufacturers to prioritize and enhance vehicle safety features in their upcoming models.

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BHARAT NCAP: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/bharat-ncap

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. What measures can be implemented to enhance road safety in India and reduce the alarming rate of accidents, considering factors such as infrastructure, driver behaviour, and regulatory enforcement?