The automobile industry of India has been seeing a significant increase in the demand of SUV vehicles in the country in recent years. SUVs have become a more popular choice due to their aggressive road presence. However, Global NCAP has expressed concerns about the rising popularity of SUVs and highlighted the challenges associated with them. During an event in Delhi on Tuesday, Global NCAP suggested that governments should discourage the sale of large and heavy SUVs. In India, the SUV segment takes up the highest market share, gradually replacing smaller cars as the primary drivers of the automotive industry.
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David Ward, Executive President at Global NCAP commented on the safety concerns associated with large SUVs at an event hosted by the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE). He emphasised that while the government has taken steps to enhance road safety, additional measures are needed to reduce the risk of fatal accidents. He further said, “The car industry's relentless push to sell ever larger and heavier SUVs is bad news for road safety, but particularly for those driving smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles and vulnerable road users.”
David Ward spoke in detail about the challenges with large SUVs as they have bigger bonnets that pose a threat to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. He highlighted that this factor significantly escalates the risk of fatal injuries while also saying that the possibility of a medium-sized SUV causing fatal injury is one-third compared to a big SUV. He also stated that a pedestrian or cyclist struck by an SUV with a bonnet as high as 90 cm has a 30% higher chance of fatal injury than a car with a bonnet at 10 cm height or lower.
Typically, SUVs in India measure 4 metres in length or less while big SUVs extend beyond four metres. SUVs in India typically have a length of four metres or less, while big SUVs extend beyond four metres. Popular big SUVs in India include models like the Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Scorpio-N, XUV700, Tata Safari and more. Manufacturers like Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors have witnessed a surge in demand for their large SUVs. Ward expressed concern, stating, “Increasing growth and demand for SUVs in India and other countries is a major road safety and environmental challenge, the governments should discourage sale of these big vehicles.”