Govt plans safety rating system for passenger cars, issues regulations for BNCAP

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed to introduce a safety rating system - Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) - for passenger cars to encourage manufacturers to provide advanced safety features and boost the "export worthiness" of vehicles produced in the country.

MoRTH said that it will assign a rating of one to five stars for cars, based on tests assessing adult and child occupant protection as well as safety assist technologies. The new system is slated to come into effect in April 2023.

Interestingly, India is the world's fifth-largest car market, with annual sales of around 3 million units a year.

MoRTH, in a notification, issued dated 24th June 2022, proposed to insert a new rule 126E in Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989 regarding the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP). The following has been proposed:

• It is applicable on Type Approved motor vehicles of category M1 [motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver’s seat] with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 Tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country, in accordance with the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-197, as amended from time to time. The standard is aligned with global benchmarks: it is beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
• Bharat NCAP rating will provide consumers with an indication of the level of protection offered to occupants by evaluating the vehicle in the areas of (a) Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) (b) Child Occupant Protection (COP) and (c) Safety Assist Technologies (SAT). The vehicle shall be assigned a star rating from one to five stars, based on scoring against various tests undertaken as per AIS 197.
  It introduces the concept of the safety rating of passenger cars and empowers consumers to make informed decisions. It will promote the export worthiness of the cars produced by OEMs in the country and increase the domestic customer’s confidence in these vehicles. Additionally, the program will encourage manufacturers to provide advanced safety technologies to earn higher ratings.
• The testing of vehicles for this program will be carried out at Testing Agencies, with the necessary infrastructure, referred to in Rule 126 of CMVR 1989.

Moreover, the government has also proposed mandating that all passenger cars have six airbags, despite resistance from some automakers which say it will increase the cost of vehicles.

(With inputs from agencies)