Car safety ratings on cards

With rising concerns over safety, the Centre is planning a rating system for cars manufactured in India based on its robustness.

As per the proposal prepared by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the rating system will be linked to insurance premiums. Higher the ratings, lower the premium.

Officials are likely to hold discussions with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority on improving safety and lower insurance premiums for cars with higher ratings to entice the customer. 

The ministry is expected to finalise the details by mid-2015, an official told Deccan Herald.

Cars with more safety features like anti-lock braking system, electronic brake distribution and seat-belt reminder will get the highest rating. The industry has been advocating a phased adoption of these measures apprehending that immediate implementation will lead to increase in car prices. 

Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told Deccan Herald that “the government will not compromise on safety issues, whether it is low-end cars or high-end ones.” 

The issue of safety in cars built in India recently hit headlines after the UK-based independent testing agency “Global NCAP” (New Car Assessment Programme) said that four out of five popular small cars plying on Indian roads did not pass crash-test norms.

The Global NCAP tests found that Nissan’s “Datsun Go” is sub-standard and asked the Japanese car maker to withdraw the model from the Indian market. India is the sixth largest car market in the world. But Indian cars do not come with critical safety features like airbags and anti-lock braking systems as standard equipment.