Crash tests may cause cars to become dearer

The Government of India will soon make crash tests mandatory for all passenger vehicles sold. We support this development wholeheartedly as this will ensure we don’t get cars that compromise on safety. But, the demands of our government might also increase the prices of the cars as manufacturers will pass on the additional expenses to the customers.

The government is currently in discussion with automakers most of who claim that their cars are crash compliant. However, senior officials have raised a stink saying this might increase the cost of cars. Also, automakers have complained that if they had to integrate most of the safety features it might add up to the cost of the car by about 15 to 20 per cent. 

“We have had discussions with the government on the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment program (BNVSA). Until now, the problem was the absence of a crash test facility. We expect one by the end of this year and another by early next year. Once this happens, some may go for BNVSA star rating on voluntary basis,” said K. K. Gandhi, Executive Director (Tech), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

The government wants to establish at least one NCAP facility by January. There may now be amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act which might make it compulsory for manufacturers to offer air bags, crumple zones and electronic safety control as standard.

Indians lose more lives in road accidents than in war. The road safety in India is fickle and the new government seems to have addressed all these issues. This is a welcome change and we support it.

Source: The Hindu

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