Your next car might have a sticker telling how safe it is. Wonder how and why? The answer lies in an initiative by the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP), where they will make a safety rating QR code sticker for cars. These stickers are a part of the growing effort to make cars in India safer. Let’s explore what these stickers are all about:
What are Bharat NCAP Stickers?
Bharat NCAP will send car manufacturers stickers that will have QR codes to show the crash test rating and other details of the safety of your car. The information included would be the OEM’s name, model name, the date it got tested and the rating it achieved in the adult and children categories. Users can scan this QR to see all of these details. Is it only me or does this remind you also of the BEE appliance energy rating?
What Bharat NCAP Said
In its announcement video, which was posted on social media, Bharat NCAP said, “Demand safety first! Introducing the Bharat NCAP display sticker with a QR code for Safety-Rated vehicles, which gives instant access to vehicle safety ratings. Empower yourself with the knowledge to choose safer vehicles.”
It further explained, “Bharat NCAP issues the display sticker to the vehicle manufacturers if opted. The vehicle manufacturers can use this display sticker on the vehicles and their variants rated under the program. Users can scan the QR code for the details of the vehicle ratings.”
How is Bharat NCAP Different From Global NCAP?
If you are wondering, “Wasn’t it global NCAP ratings”? Your confusion is fair because the crash test ratings we got for Indian cars till now were from Global NCAP. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways collaborated with Global NCAP in 2023 to form Bharat NCAP. The safety ratings under this body would be only for Indian cars, according to Indian government standards. Since its start, the Bharat NCAP has tested four cars, all from Tata. These are the Harries, Safari, Nexon EV and Punch EV. All of these SUVs got the perfect 5-star rating from Bharat NCAP. There are rumours that BNCAP has also tested SUVs Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, but their results are not yet available.
Do you think this initiative will push automakers towards safer cars?
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