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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released the draft Bharat NCAP 2.0, significantly upgrading India’s vehicle safety assessment framework by introducing new crash-test categories, higher benchmarks, and pedestrian safety norms.

What is Bharat NCAP 2.0?

• Nature: Revised vehicle safety rating programme for passenger cars sold in India.
• Background: Updates the Bharat NCAP guidelines notified in 2023.
• Objective:
  • Align India’s crash-safety standards with global NCAP norms.
  • Protect vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians and other vulnerable road users (VRUs).
  • Push manufacturers to adopt advanced safety technologies.

Implementing & Testing Agency

• Certification & Testing: Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune
• Nodal Ministry: MoRTH

Key Features of Bharat NCAP 2.0

1. Five Safety Assessment Verticals

1. Safe Driving
2. Accident Avoidance
3. Crash Protection
4. Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Protection (New)
5. Post-Crash Safety (New)

2. Expanded Crash-Test Regime

• Existing Tests:
  • Frontal impact
  • Side impact
  • Oblique pole impact
• New Tests Added:
  • Full-width frontal crash test
  • Rear impact test

3. Advanced Injury Evaluation: Use of Advanced Test Dummies (ATDs) to assess injury risks to different body regions under multiple crash scenarios.

4. Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Protection

• Pedestrian Safety Tests:
  • Legform impact test
  • Adult and child head impact tests
• Optional Safety Tech: Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) for pedestrians and motorcyclists earns additional points.

5. Accident-Avoidance Technologies

• Mandatory: Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Optional (Extra Score): Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEBS)

6. Post-Crash Safety Assessment

• Fire and electrical safety checks
• Ease of occupant escape (functioning doors, seat-belt buckles after crash)

Revised Star Rating System

• Stricter thresholds for higher star ratings.
• A vehicle cannot receive a 5-star rating if:
  • Any assessment vertical scores zero, or
  • There is evidence of severe or life-threatening injury risk.

Significance of Bharat NCAP 2.0

• Moves India closer to global vehicle safety benchmarks.
• Addresses pedestrian safety—pedestrians account for over 20% of road accident deaths in India.
• Supports India’s target to reduce road fatalities by 50% by 2030.
• Encourages safety-led competition among automobile manufacturers.