Global NCAP is a program by Towards Zero Foundation and aims to reduce road deaths and serious injuries to 50% by 2030. In 2014, Global NCAP launched its Safer Cars for India Programme to promote safer vehicles in the country.

Almost every car brand claims its cars to be the safest but these organizations conduct specific tests on cars according to the segment and features and then give them a rating out of 5.

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What is Global NCAP?

It assesses the safety of the car on a global standard following a collision. It runs crash tests for all the car models across the globe. The crash tests focus on the structure of the body of the car, primarily the frontal and the sides of the car, and also assess the protection of the car for adults as well as children.

Cars are crash tested for 40% frontal collision, and based on how the car can withstand the collision, the car is given a rating between 0 and 5. It also tests for the integrity of the seatbelts, the electronic stability control, tests for pedestrian safety and, if equipped, the autonomous emergency braking systems are also put to test.

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How safety assessments are done?

Global NCAP is not a mandatory safety test. It is something car makers do to enhance the roadworthiness and safety of their products.

The manufactures reach out to Global NCAP to get their model tested. NCAP randomly selects vehicles from a plant or any dealership. Then the vehicle is sent to a laboratory for a detailed inspection and various crash tests and technical analysis.

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A five-star rating does not ensure that it’s the safest car. A three or four-star rated SUV can be much safer than a five-star rated hatchback. The ASEAN NCAP website states, “In fact, the occupants of the heavier car or the car with higher structure tend to fare better than the occupants in lighter and lower car.” the cars are judged based on their categories and the tests are modified for each category.

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Volkswagen polo, Toyota Etios, Mahindra XUV 500, Hyundai Creta, Tata Punch, and Volkswagen Vento are some of the 4-star rated cars in India by Global NCAP.