We currently live in times when people are taking the safety of their cars more seriously. A significant indicator of this safety, as advertised by the majority, is the NCAP ratings. These star ratings help simplify the safety aspect of a car by assigning it a star rating out of 5. The higher the star, the safer the car. Not only manufacturers and buyers, but the government also took this seriously and partnered with Global NCAP to form Bharat NCAP. It is a testing agency that tests Indian cars wxplicitly. While this is an excellent initiative towards improving the safety of cars, is it the ultimate guarantee of you being safe in an accident? Let’s find out.
How are NCAP ratings calculated?
NCAP ratings are calculated in two parts. The first is the AOP (Adult Occupant Protection) parameter, which checks the safety of an adult seated in a car. There are multiple tests in this section, including the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the side movable deformable barrier test, and the side pole impact test (pole). As the name suggests, testers conduct these from the front and side using either a deformable barrier or a non-deformable pole. The second part of these tests, COP (Child Occupant Protection), assesses the impact on a child seated in an ISOFIX child seat during an accident. This test also considers multiple tests and checks for impacts at different parts of the body.
Issues With NCAP Tests
Although these tests are a fantastic medium for helping people realize the safety of their cars, they have highlighted certain issues, including:
Lab Based Tests
Labs conduct NCAP tests under strictly maintained conditions, which is great for comparing the safety of multiple cars. However, as we know, real-world accidents are not predictable or controlled, so the result of an NCAP test might not be accurate in a real-world scenario.
Unpredictable Speeds
NCAP tests are conducted at specific speeds that are decided beforehand for a car. This lies in the range of 30 to 70 kmph. The real world accidents, on the other hand, bring no guarantee of controlled speed. Considering our country’s problem with speeding, the actual crash might happen at double the speed of the test. NCAP crash test results cannot determine how the car will behave at that speed.
Variety of Cars
The NCAP test considers the weight of a car and conducts the impact tests accordingly. This means the NCAP tests hold true if the accident happens with a car of a similar weight. This isn’t the case on the road, which has not only cars, but heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses as well. You cannot be assured a safe exit from an accident if a high-speed truck rams into a 5-star rated hatchback!
Preventive Safety Measures
One aspect of modern cars that the NCAP tests miss is the safety features that come into play before an accident. Yes, we are talking about the much-hyped ADAS tech! This might seem like a gimmick for now, but it can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. The presence of these features makes it less likely for the user to have an accident in the first place.
Driver Attitude
This might not be a direct issue with NCAP ratings, but it sure is a major issue. Some drivers consider the high safety rating of their cars as their ticket for being reckless while driving and making risky manoeuvres. It’s known for a fact that human error is one of the biggest reasons behind crashes. If we add in the driver not being careful, then it can become a big issue. One thing to keep in mind is that if you put yourself in an extreme situation by driving rashly. Further, no amount of protection by the car can save you from it.
Possible Solution of NCAP rating
Now, we obviously cannot expect NCAP to predict every scenario on the road and design a test for it. What we can do is push OEMs to give better safety tech in the car, to begin with, which can make cars safer. Even more importantly, we need to own up to our responsibility as a driver to be more responsible while driving. We need to ensure the basics like wearing a seatbelt, never drinking and driving and not overspeeding. We also need to be more aware of the road and our vehicles while driving. A part that the government can play is making tests for acquiring a driving licence more strict and ensuring better training of drivers on roads.
