# India

Now, occupants can ascertain degree of safety while riding a car

The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP) will give ratings assessing the vehicle in the categories of (a) Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), (b) Child Occupant Protection (COP), and (c) Safety Assist Technologies (SAT).

Anjali Bhatia | New Delhi | June 25, 2022 5:29 pm

Now, occupants can ascertain degree of safety while riding a car

Now, occupants will have a sense of the degree of protection while traveling in a car, thanks to the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP) which gives ratings on the safety of a car. A notification establishing rules for BNCAP was released on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
In accordance with the notification from June 24, 2022, the BNCAP rating will be given assessing the vehicle in the categories of (a) Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), (b) Child Occupant Protection (COP), and (c) Safety Assist Technologies (SAT).
Based on the results of several tests conducted in accordance with Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197, the vehicle will be given a star rating between one and five stars.
According to the statement, the government has added a new regulation 126E to the 1989 Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) relating to the BNCAP.
The new rule is applicable to 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,” the ministry said.
The BNCAP 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 programme will encourage manufacturers to provide advanced safety technologies to earn higher ratings, the ministry said.
The testing of vehicles for this programme will be carried out at the Testing Agencies, with the necessary infrastructure, referred to in Rule 126 of CMVR 1989. The government has set 1st April 2023 as the date of applicability for the new programme.