The Hindu Business Line : Car crash tests to be mandatory

Dr Balraj Bhanot of the Automobile Research Association of India (ARAI), told Business Line that in another two years, crash tests such as rear-end collision and head-on collision will be made mandatory. This is part of ARAI's technical committee's safety road map for all passenger cars and other vehicles.

Vehicle manufacturers now carry out crash tests voluntarily. Other tests, which will be made mandatory are, the protection of the occupant in case of a frontal collision and a lateral collision. ARAI has also set norms for a child restraint system and prevention of fire risks, and is working on norms for arrangement of foot controls. According to a World Bank report, about a third of all injury insurance claims are related to neck injuries, and half of these are because of rear-end automobile collision - some of them leading to permanent disability or death.

Dr Bhanot said the Government is in the process of aligning itself with the standards of Economic Commission of Europe (ECE). He said India has either fully or partially aligned itself with 76 regulations, while seven of them are in progress and the other 32 will be taken up in due course. ECE has about 115 regulations covering various environment and safety aspects. "We are far ahead of Asian countries in this respect and even Japan is only half way through compared with India, despite having their own unique standards. Other Asian nations are nowhere near us," Dr Bhanot said.

Dr Bhanot said India has now started taking part in the United Nations' ECE meetings on the harmonisation of vehicular regulations as an observer. "As we move ahead we would take a decision as to which agreement of the WP (working party) 29 should be signed," Dr Bhanot said. In 1955, the UN WP29 was established to harmonise European standards. In 1958, WP29 created procedures for establishing uniform regulations on motor vehicles, equipment and parts (commonly referred to as the 1958 agreement). The WP29 agreement is now being transformed into a global forum. Recent changes include a name change to World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and the establishment of a process for developing harmonised vehicle regulations through the new 1998 Global Agreement.

A total of 112 regulations have been published under the 1958 global agreement, covering a comprehensive range of the safety norms for motor vehicles. The agreement includes mutual recognition of governmental certifications based on the ECE norms, while the purpose of the 1998 global agreement is to internationally harmonise the regulations. Mutual recognition is excluded from the 1998 global agreement.

According to the 1998 agreement, the vehicles and vehicle parts produced under the common regulations will be easily available in the international market, giving consumers a wider choice, facilitating trade and reducing costs of compliance through the elimination of multiple testing and approvals.

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