Sales Of SUVs Should Not Be Promoted: Head, Global NCAP

SUVs are all the rage in the automotive industry right now and it is the highest-selling segment not just in India but the world over. However, David Ward, Executive President of Global NCAP, says these vehicles pose a serious risk to pedestrian safety due to the tall height of their bonnets.

Ward said that India should not repeat the mistake made by the United States of America in promoting SUVs. Speaking at the Global Road Safety Initiative, Ward said, “the car industry’s relentless push to sell larger and heavier SUVs in every segment is bad news for road safety and particularly for those driving smaller, more efficient vehicles and vulnerable road users.”

A recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US found that nearly 80 per cent of the cars in the US are SUVs. It studied 18,000 pedestrian crashes and found that SUVs and pickup trucks with bonnet height of more than 40 inches (1016 mm) are about 45 per cent more likely to cause fatalities of pedestrians. Furthermore, it also found that bonnet heights between 30 and 40 inches (762 mm and 1016 mm) which have an upright stance increase the risk to pedestrians.

However, Avik Chattopadhyay, an Automotive Product Planning Expert, believes that the findings of the IIHS do not apply to India as the country does not have many SUVs that have bonnet heights higher than 40 inches. Chattopadhyay added that most SUVs in India are not true blue SUVs and would rather classify them as “hatchbacks on steroids” with an elevated seat height. Furthermore, manufacturers are trying to make these SUVs as fuel-efficient as they can and due to that, they are putting in efforts to reduce the gross weight of the vehicle.

Even in India, SUVs account for 50 per cent of the total sales and it has been on the rise in recent years. Nikunj Sanghi, Past President of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), said that the “Demand for SUVs is now moderating after being on a boil for a long time.” He feels that “it is high time the moderation comes into effect”.

Carmakers in India are gearing up to launch more SUVs into the market. Skoda is eyeing the subcompact SUV segment, Nissan will soon launch the X-trail, and Hyundai too is planning to bring the Creta facelift and all of this is likely to come in the first quarter of 2024.