SUV Growth: Road Safety & Environmental Concerns - Global NCAP

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) The automobile industry's relentless push to sell larger and heavier SUVs a major road safety as well as environmental challenge and the government should discourage sale of these big vehicles, a top official of the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an event organized by the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), Global NCAP executive president David Ward said the Indian government has taken maximum steps for increasing road safety in the past few years including development of Bharat NCAP with partnership with GNCAP.

"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," he said.

According to Ward, the risk of fatal injuries to vulnerable road users increases as the bonnet height of the vehicle hitting them increases.

"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," he said, adding that in recent years, cars have become heavier, taller and more powerful.

For example, a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a car with a bonnet 90 cm high runs a 30 per cent greater risk of fatal injury than if hit by a vehicle with a bonnet 10 cm lower.

Large SUVs increased the risk of serious injury to other road users by about a third more than medium-sized SUVs, he said.