Alliance member, Global NCAP have launched the Safer Choice India and Safer Choice Africa Awards to encourage automakers to achieve the highest levels of safety performance.
Crash test results published by Global NCAP in November 2017 for cars sold in Africa showed a wide range of safety performance—from four to zero stars for adult protection—with the lowest ratings resulting in a high probability of life threatening injury in a road crash. In India, the safety performance of cars has been improving since Global NCAPs first test results in 2014 with three models tested reaching four star status and others have seen significant safety enhancements from an initially unacceptable zero star performance.
To encourage manufacturers to quickly improve the safety levels of the cars they sell in India and Africa, Global NCAP is instigating an award for the first five star car in each of these two regions.
To qualify for the Global NCAP Safer Choice Award, a car model must achieve all of the following requirements:
1. The model must achieve a 5-star score for Adult Occupant Protection in accordance with the latest version of the Global NCAP New Market Test protocol.
2. The model must achieve at least a 4-star result in Child Occupant Protection in accordance with latest version of the Global NCAP New Market Test protocol.
3. The model must offer Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and meet performance requirements according to United Nations Regulations UN13H, UN140 or GTR9. Where optional, ESC must be available on all the model variants, sold separately without any ‘bundling’ with other features, and as from two years onwards must be a standard fit to at least 20% of the sales volume in the country.
4. The model must meet Pedestrian Protection requirements according to United Nations Regulations UN127 or GTR9, which must be validated on market units at a Global NCAP designated testing laboratory.
5. Conformity with all of these requirements must be validated at a Global NCAP designated laboratory and by the provision of type approval certificates where applicable.
David Ward, Global NCAP said of launch of the Safer Choice Africa Award, “We would like to encourage the African automobile market to respond to the call for zero star cars to be driven off Africa’s roads and we very much look forward to the first automaker in Africa to achieve the accolade of five-star ‘Safer Choice’ performance.”
