Crash Tests Show India’s Cars Are Unsafe

The first-ever independent crash tests of some of India’s popular and important small cars have shown a high-risk of life threatening injuries in road crashes. All the cars selected by Global NCAP for testing in a frontal impact at 64km/h received zero-star adult protection ratings.

The models tested included India’s best-selling car, the Suzuki-Maruti Alto 800. The Tata Nano, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo also underwent the safety assessment. Combined sales of these five cars account for around 20% of all the new cars sold in India last year. Global NCAP chose the entry-level version of each model and as a result none were fitted with air bags as standard. The results highlight major differences in the structural integrity of the vehicles tested.

Max Mosley, Chairman of Global NCAP, said: “India is now a major global market and production centre for small cars, so it’s worrying to see levels of safety that are 20 years behind the five-star standards now common in Europe and North America. Poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are putting the lives of Indian consumers at risk. They have a right to know how safe their vehicles are and to expect the same basic levels of safety as standard as customers in other part of the world.”

In the Suzuki-Maruti Alto 800, the Tata Nano and the Hyundai i10, the vehicle structures proved inadequate and collapsed to varying degrees, resulting in high risks of life-threatening injuries to the occupants. The extent of the structural weaknesses in these models were such that fitting airbags would not be effective in reducing the risk of serious injury. The Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo had structures that remained stable – and, therefore, with airbags fitted, protection for the driver and front passenger would be much improved.

Coinciding with the Global NCAP tests, Volkswagen has decided to withdraw the non-airbag version of the Polo from sale in India. Because of this, Global NCAP agreed to a request from VW to assess a version of the Polo that has two airbags fitted as standard as from now. Other manufacturers had the same opportunity. The protection proved much better and this airbag-equipped model received a four-star rating for adult occupant protection. Consumers are encouraged to check which version of the Polo they buy.

Download crash test reports here.

Models also fail to pass UN’s basic safety test

Global NCAP also assessed the same models against the UN’s basic crash test. This 40% offset frontal impact test at 56km/h is now widely applied by major manufacturing countries and regions, including Australia, China, European Union, Japan and Malaysia. The Global Plan for the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety recommends that all Member States apply this standard, although it is not yet applied in India. All but one of the cars tested failed to pass even this minimum standard.

Please note:

– Ford Figo passed despite not having a driver airbag when the dummy’s head narrowly avoided hitting the steering wheel directly.

– Volkswagen Polo with two airbags was awarded a pass based on dummy readings from the 64km/h crash

Taken together the results highlight the vital combination of both sound structural integrity and air bags as standard equipment. These features are the sure way to exceed the minimum UN crash test standard at 56km/h. They also offer adequate levels of protection in a higher speed crash at 64km/h, the speed most commonly used by independent consumer crash test programmes.

Rohit Baluja, President of India’s Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) said: “These results show that India would benefit enormously from the introduction of minimum crash safety standards and clearer information for consumers about the protection new cars offer. Many cars made in India for export meet these standards already, so it’s not a question of know-how or capability: India’s automobile industry just needs the right incentives. With the UN’s minimum safety standards and clear information for consumers, India can produce cars that are every bit as good as those in Europe and the US.”

Global NCAP has awarded a separate child safety rating to each car in order to highlight the different levels of protection vehicles provide to passengers on the rear seats. Because the only safe way for young children to travel is properly restrained in a child seat, the assessment checks how compatible the car is with the child seats recommended by the manufacturer, as well as the protection provided in the crash.

In the assessments, the child seats recommended by manufacturers were often found to be incompatible with their vehicle’s belt system. In the Tata Nano, there was no three-point seatbelt on the rear seats and no way to install a child seat or transport a small child safely.

“Vehicle manufacturers understand how important it is for young children to travel buckled up in a child seat that’s installed securely on the rear seat,” said David Ward, Secretary-General of Global NCAP. “They know what they need to do to make it as easy as possible for parents: it’s just a question of priorities. Indian families buying these cars expect their children to be given the same protection as children in other parts of the world.”

About Global NCAP

Global NCAP is an independent charity registered in the United Kingdom. It serves as a global platform for NCAPs around the world to exchange best practice in consumer orientated vehicle safety initiatives. Global NCAP also provides financial and technical assistance to new programmes in the rapidly motorizing countries and regions of Asia and Latin America. Global NCAP receives financial support from the FIA Foundation, from International Consumer Testing and Research, from the Road Safety Fund and the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility. Global NCAP supports the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration. There are currently nine NCAP programmes or similar active across the world.

Images

Suzuki-Maruti Alto received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection – Download image (2MB)

Tata Nano received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection – Download image (2MB)

Hyundai i10 received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection – Download image (2MB)

Volkswagen Polo sold in India without airbags received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection – Download image (2MB)

Ford Figo received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection – Download image (2MB)

Videos

To see individual crash test videos, please visit Global NCAP’s youtube channel.

Broadcast-quality footage of the crash tests and their set-up as well as interviews with Global NCAP personnel are available on request from press@globalncap.org or by calling +44-20-7747-1684.

Press enquiries
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