A Comprehensive Guide to Global NCAP Rating

Posted on: Nov 1, 2022 | | Written by:

A Comprehensive Guide to Global NCAP Rating

Published on October 31, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

The safety issues of every individual car get assessed under a variety of circumstances. When you purchase a new vehicle, its price depends to a certain extent on the implementation and proper execution of these safety elements and the global take of these measures. Not only the vehicle price but the new car insurance will also reflect the influence of these safety elements. In this article, we will highlight all the important aspects of global NCAP rating and other relevant issues in detail.

What is Global NCAP?

NCAP stands for New Car Assessment Program and exclusively highlights the safety features in a new car, including how well it can manage and perform in several types of crash tests, including both side and frontal. The primary focus is to make a clear assessment of the safety of the occupants, the driver and the passengers in case of any accidental collision and how best the safety features and equipment provide overall protection to the vehicle occupants, including both children and adults.

There are several NCAP agencies currently functioning, including Global NCAP, ASEAN NCAP, Euro NCAP, and Australian NCAP are the major performers in this context for providing ratings to various kinds of car models sold by different brands. Back in 1978, the US first came up with the concept of the NCAP program.

The Global NCAP stands for Global New Car AP or Assessment Program and is one of the most vital projects of the UK-based Towards Zero Foundation. Global NCAP serves as a potent platform for co-operating among various new car assessment programs on a global scale while promoting the mandatory universal adoption of the advanced safety standards designed by the United Nations. The main purpose behind this is the significant reduction of serious injuries and road fatalities under any accidental circumstances.

They vehemently support the enhanced democratisation of vehicle safety standards through encouraging and implementing the best possible application of automobile technology and design across the world. They support the optimum promotion of consumer information for encouraging a worldwide market for several vehicles, making it a safer place while maintaining a sustainable approach.

Types of tests done by NCAP on cars

Each NCAP possess their individual protocols for testing the crash of the cars and scoring them. Therefore, the test results remain non-interchangeable. For example, Euro NCAP conducts the entire frontal, side pole, side impact, offset, and front tests. On the other hand, the Global NCAP are determined solely by front offset crash tests. The front offset crash test has been exclusively designed for stimulating a collision which is on a head-on basis between two different cars.

How does Global NCAP crash test cars?

The testing protocol of the Global NCAP test involves a particular vehicle being driven at a consistent speed of 64 kmph with only 40% overlap into a special deformable barrier, which is made equivalent to any crash between two different four-wheelers of ideal weight, both moving at no more than 50 kmph. The principal focus is to bring out the key differences in speed of the special front offset test as conducted by the Global NCAP and the designated regulatory authorities of India.

However, there exist differences among the test ratings of the Global NCAP. The manufacturer’s rating may be high in the context of the Indian market, while the Global NCAP rating remains poor. This mainly happens because the test speed followed by the Indian government is 56 kmph, which remains lower than the standard crash test speed of the Global NCAP.

NCAP’s standards requirements for getting a decent score are frequently considered superior to the minimum regulatory standards. Moreover, the regulatory protocols of every NCAP tend to be revised every two years on average, involving more features and tests.

How does Global NCAP score cars?

Unlike a government regulation test, technically, no car can fail any standard NCAP test. Every four-wheeler under the NCAP requirement is provided with a special rating on a standard scale of five-star. The focus is to score higher to experience a higher ranking on the scale. The rating is determined by the Child Occupant Protection score and the Adult Occupant Protection scores, as the result of the crash test.

These special scores are generally derived from the exclusive readings achieved by the crash test dummies. However, extra points and credit may be awarded for the presence of any additional safety features. As per the current mandate of the Global NCAP, the presence of an airbag on the driver’s side is the minimum criterion to score at least one star. This explains well the cause of the zero-star Global NCAP rating for the non-airbag four-wheeler variants.

The standard 17-point Adult Occupant Score considers the standard readings of probable driver injury from four body areas-leg, foot, femur and pelvis, knee, chest, neck and head. Any vehicle with a seatbelt reminder feature, side impact protective measures, and four-channel ABS is liable to receive certain additional bonus points when tested and approved by designated authorities.

The standard 49-point Child Occupant Protection score is determined by the exclusive readings derived from dummies sized like children between 1.5 years and 3 years and placed on the special child seats as recommended by the concerned manufacturer. Any vehicle containing Isofix, provision of special three-point seat belts, special child restraint system markings, etc., are awarded additional credits and points, thus enhancing the overall score.

Global NCAP always tend to utilise the cars in the base trim for the designated test and focus on establishing the idea of the importance of baseline safety any buyer is liable to receive even when he/she buys the most reasonable version of any variant of any vehicle.

To know more about the safest cars available in the market, check out this article on Top 20 Safest Cars in India 2023 with Global NCAP Rating.

Conclusion

Although most of the Indian vehicles have scored decently on the Global NCAP ratings as per the recent reports, however, we must remember it is only currently assessed for passive crash safety. However, these customs are liable to change in the recent upcoming future. Moreover, the crash test patterns and the Global NCAP rating is supposed to go stricter and more rigorous. ESC is supposed to get introduced in the coming year to score higher, while the side testing is also supposed to come under the standard testing norms. Such revisions are liable to impact the new car insurance too, depending on the current circumstances.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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