News: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a revised draft of Bharat NCAP 2.0 expanding assessment scope and updating safety standards.
About Bharat NCAP 2.0
- The Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) 2.0 is a revised vehicle safety rating programme that evaluates the crashworthiness and safety technologies of cars sold in India.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
- Certification by: Testing and certification are handled by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune.
- Aim: Its aim is to upgrade India’s vehicle safety standards, protect both occupants and vulnerable road users, and encourage adoption of advanced safety technologies.
- Key Features
- Comprehensive Assessment Verticals: Bharat NCAP 2.0 evaluates every vehicle across five assessment areas which are –
- Safe Driving
- Accident Avoidance
- Crash Protection
- Vulnerable Road User Protection
- Post-Crash Safety
- Expanded Mandatory Crash Tests: Under the crash protection vertical, it introduces an expanded set of mandatory crash tests, including new full-width frontal impact and rear impact tests in addition to earlier tests.
- Injury Assessment Using ATDs: The programme uses Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) to assess potential injuries to adult and child occupants in different crash scenarios during all required tests.
- Focus on Active Safety Technologies: It makes the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system a mandatory technology for eligibility to the star rating programme, while allowing manufacturers to voluntarily offer Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEBS) for additional assessment.
- Revised and Stricter Star Rating Criteria: The revised document increases the point thresholds for higher star ratings and introduces conditions such as minimum Adult Occupant Protection scores and the bar on zero scores in any assessment vertical for a five-star rating
- Comprehensive Assessment Verticals: Bharat NCAP 2.0 evaluates every vehicle across five assessment areas which are –
About Bharat NCAP 2023
- Implementation: Bharat NCAP 2023 was implemented in October 2023.
- Purpose: Its purpose is to provide safety ratings for vehicles based on crash testing under Automotive Industry Standard AIS-197 and to give star ratings that reflect the crashworthiness of cars.
- Assessment verticals and crash test procedure: Under Bharat NCAP 2023, vehicles are assessed under Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection and Safety Assist Technologies through controlled frontal, side and oblique side impact crash tests at specified speeds to evaluate safety performance.
- Nature of the Programme: Bharat NCAP 2023 is voluntary in nature.
- Valid till: It is an India-specific safety certification programme valid till September 30, 2027.
