Will India’s first car-crash test rating system result in fewer accidents?

With Bharat NCAP ready to roll out this October, it’s time to reckon with the many reasons that make Indian roads the most dangerous in the world

India loses 1.5 lakh of its citizens to road accidents every year, with an hourly tally of 18 people, most of whom are between the age of 18-35 years. These numbers were provided by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways whose recent measures at mitigating road fatalities may have finally reached an inflection point with the introduction of the country’s first vehicular crash safety assessment programme dubbed “Bharat NCAP” or Bharat New Car Assessment Programme. India’s woeful road fatality statistics have remained higher than any other country in the world for several years now. What would be considered a national emergency in most industrialised parts of the globe, had thus far been reduced to yet another lamentable consequence of being the world’s most populated nation. 

Safety is key among consumers

Bharat NCAP, at the outset, aims to drastically improve vehicular passenger safety. A government-backed programme, it allows manufacturers the chance to voluntarily enlist their models for a series of crash-tests that have been designed in accordance with international crash safety protocols. Based on how each model fares, it is then assigned a star rating from a total of five stars, with the aim to inform the consumer about the safety level of the car they intend to purchase. It’s a small but crucial step towards bringing the issue of the structural integrity of a vehicle into public consciousness. 

According to Petr Šolc, brand director of Škoda Auto India, the tectonic shift in consumer preferences of a historically cost-conscious market has already begun. “A recent survey revealed that safety is getting greater importance among consumers in their car-purchasing decisions,” he says. Škoda is one of the few manufacturers in the country to have a fleet of models with a five-star Global NCAP rating. Šolc has effectively echoed the words of India’s Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, who stated that the market has pivoted from being cost-centric to quality-centric. Škoda, in many ways, effectively marks the entry point to the luxury segment, which is represented by far fewer cars on-road than mass-market brands, some of whom have downplayed the issue of automotive safety to the detriment of their sales figures.

A prime example is the country’s largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki, whose best-selling models like the WagonR, Swift and Alto all received an abysmal one-star rating under Global NCAP’s #SafercarsforIndia initiative. For its part, the brand has clarified on multiple occasions that its cars meet the country’s mandatory crash safety requirements, and the Global NCAP’s parameters, which incidentally mirror those of Bharat NCAP, aren’t quite an accurate reflection of India’s varied everyday driving scenarios. 

An added assurance

In contrast to the offset frontal and side-impact collision tests that are mandatory for all cars sold in India, Bharat NCAP subjects the base variant of each model to an additional side-pole impact test (for vehicles scoring three stars or above). The front and lateral collision tests are also conducted at 64kph, as opposed to the standard 56 kph. It assigns a score based on both adult and child occupant safety, while providing additional points for the provision of features like front seat belt reminders and electronic stability control. The latter allows the car to regain control and drive in a linear way should it momentarily lose traction.

These parameters have been set in accordance with Global NCAP, a programme created by  UK-based charity Towards Zero Foundation. Its president David Ward, has been instrumental in setting up BharatNCAP after introducing the #SaferCarsForIndia programme a decade ago. “We’ve tested over 50 models and the effect it has had in raising awareness among consumers in India has been tremendous” says Ward, speaking at the launch of Bharat NCAP in New Delhi. Homegrown manufacturers like Tata Motors and Mahindra have, in the last decade, risen to greater prominence by using Global NCAP to highlight the safety levels of their cars. 

Not without its flaws

A consummate crash testing apparatus, however, only addresses a small aspect of a systemic issue—that of poor highway surveillance, law enforcement and post-crash medical intervention. Bharat NCAP only vets passenger vehicles, while mass fatalities occur in the case of bus crashes on highways.

“Bharat NCAP needs to evolve to Bharat NVAP, or New Vahan Assessment Programme,”  says Piyush Tewari, founder and CEO of the Save Life Foundation (SLF). “We need to assess buses and large modes of transport. Bus manufacturers only make the chassis, leaving the bodywork to small- and medium-sized enterprises. We need a standardised body type which is then subject to assessment,” says Tewari, adding that a large number of fatalities and trauma occur through bus accidents. Patchwork infrastructure on highways also remains a persistent issue—one that, according to Tewari, is being addressed. With inputs from SLF, the government has been able to identify accident-prone “black spots,” placing life-saving crash barriers and sign boards on designated spots. The relatively easy acquisition of a driving licence is another glaring issue that hasn’t been addressed adequately.  

“The amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act have mandated reforms in the licensing regime but the enforcement is very weak. It needs to be enforced properly by state governments,” says Tewari, while emphasising the fact that there isn’t a “Right to Emergency Medical Care Law which will guarantee high-quality trauma care to the injured”. Tewari, who, along with the SLF’s efforts, had the Supreme Court of India pass the “Good Samaritan” law in 2016, says that many fatalities can be prevented through timely medical intervention. “The chain of survival has to be rounded off and guaranteed through legislation that will make trauma care a right. Because fundamentally, it is preserving our right to life,” he says. 

Also Read: Cutting-edge electric concepts and luxury upgrades in cars this month

Also Read: Are you ready to switch to e-cars?

Also Read: You can now buy a super-computer on wheels