Gadkari unveils next step in India’s road safety push

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari unveiled the next phase of India's road safety initiative during the 66th SIAM Annual Convention. This upcoming program, known as Bharat NCAP 2, will be implemented from October 2027 and will evaluate the entire vehicle safety chain. The minister emphasized that India, being the world's third-largest passenger vehicle market, faces a significant road accident problem, with the country recording around five lakh accidents annually, resulting in about 1.80 lakh deaths.

Bharat NCAP, India's official vehicle safety rating program, was launched in 2023. The program crash-tests passenger cars and rates them on a scale of one to five stars based on their performance in protecting both adult and child occupants during collisions. Speaking about the progress made under the current Bharat NCAP, Gadkari highlighted the importance of evaluating the entire value chain of a vehicle to enhance road safety. This includes incorporating new technologies and those developed by Indian startups.

Recognizing the high number of accidents involving drivers aged 18-36, Gadkari stressed the urgency of reducing these numbers. To address this, the government is working on a mechanism that could result in the cancellation of driving licenses for repeated safety rule violations. Conversely, responsible drivers could receive incentives, such as point deductions from their driving licences and bonuses from insurance companies.

Gadkari emphasized the need to discourage risky behavior that puts other road users at risk while rewarding responsible driving habits.