Crash test norms for cars to be revealed soon

Global NCAP’s recent crash tests on cars built in India and their evidently poor crashworthiness have created a strong impact. The Government is taking actions to make car safety a priority by announcing the construction of a crash test facility in India to reduce fatalities. 

Road transport and highways minister Pon Radhakrishnan told the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the government is set to mandate frontal offset test and side impact crash test norms for passenger cars. The requisite test facilities are being built under National Automotive Testing and Research and Development Infrastructure Project, the minister said, adding that once these facilities are ready, the regulations will be implemented.

"To meet these regulations, majority of car manufacturers will be required to use several safety devices, including air bags," he said. 

The government will consult the Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures ( SIAM), apex body of automotive manufacturers in India to generate a consensus on the issue. SIAM is also member of the standing committee on the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, which decides all the implementation issues with the automobile industry. 

Popular hatchbacks sold in the country, including Maruti Suzuki Swift and Nissan Datsun Go, failed the crash tests conducted by Global NCAP last month while Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo and Hyundai i10 had also failed to meet the standards in the tests conducted earlier this year. 

Global NCAP had said that popular models like Nissan's Datsun Go failed crash tests and the model showed high risk of life-threatening injuries to the occupants. During the tests both the made-in-India cars received zero-star safety rating for their adult occupant protection. 

SIAM had stated that carmakers in India meet the country's safety norms. "Every country has its own safety requirements. Our cars are meeting the norms stipulated by the Indian government," SIAM's director general Vishnu Mathur had said.