Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern

[Rightnow]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Strange that polo is still not voted by a single TAIan. Whereas i20, beat, vista managed to get one each.

I don't know about other polo owners, but my views are as below which make me not vote for any particular car:

My views:
I strongly feel that the first principle of a safe car is 'driving safe', same goes for anything that runs on wheels. A heavy built, strong make of the car makes us 'feel' safe and confident though practically they may not be safe in case of an accident. Definitely, a car with airbags is safer than one without them. No doubts here.

At the same time, its not just cars that fill the roads, we have bikes, autos, public transport etc. By the standards of safety, I think they are far behind what we get in cars. So, effectively when we are on road its 'safe drive' which makes the vehicle safe.

....This is why I am finding it hard to vote one particular car from the poll. Still thinking over it...

 

[350Z]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

This video shows how unsafe is the India’s best selling car – Maruti Alto.

Suzuki Alto K10 NO Airbags - YouTube​

Manufactured by Suzuki-Maruti in India, the Alto K10 is exported to South America. The region’s car safety organization, Latin NCAP bought one, and sent it to Germany for crash-testing. In the test, the Suzuki Alto K10’s structure was unstable and performed very badly. “The high forces placed on the dummies pose an unacceptably high risk of death,” said Latin NCAP’s report. Just about everything in the car collapsed onto the driver. The diagram produced by Latin NCAP shows the dummy painted almost completely red. The child protection score was better: three stars, but Latin NCAP points out that it’s because the front of seats has cushioned the force for the children. In a crash, the Alto K10 is an orphan-maker.

More die on India’s roads than anywhere else in the world: around 130,000 a year. People in cars should be among the safest, but they’re not. Car and utility vehicle drivers and passengers account for 16% (20,800 lives) of road deaths each year. Only motorcyclists and those on three-wheelers (32%, 41,000 lives) are more at risk. Pedestrians and cyclists account for just 9% and 5% respectively. More die on India’s roads than anywhere else in the world: around 130,000 a year. People in cars should be among the safest, but they’re not Experts like to blame the figures on Indian drivers for not wearing seatbelts. It certainly doesn’t help, but with cars like the Suzuki Alto K10 collapsing onto the driver, it’s clear that the cars on sale are a part of the problem too.

As in Latin America, car makers are able to sell cheap old cars with healthy profit margins. We’re told these cars are exactly what consumers in emerging markets demand. I’m not so sure the average consumer is really aware what is being sold. They’re asking for greater safety and are being told that four wheels is the answer. In Latin America, independent crash testing is starting to help consumers to make more informed choices. India needs its own Euro NCAP-style organization as well, don’t you think? (Source: Link)

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[VivekRj.Dieselhead]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

I don't know about other polo owners, but my views are as below which make me not vote for any particular car:

Then i think you must see some reviews about polo, i have read in a forum about polo. The car toppled nearly 5 times and fell of the highway into a canal going under it, airbags didn't deployed. Polo was looking like a ball, and the driver came out on its own and was walking like nothing happened.

Now i think you should vote for some car, or you can search for other reviews.

BTW this thread was not focused on build quality. But it surely adds to the safety, if they are europian cars they must be safe. That is what i now think. Though TATA is also one of my favorite as you must have read my personal experience on the same thread.

My indica totaled in a Head-On collision(with a roadways and an another lorry rammed from behind) and my father was on the passenger seat, he came out safely, without even a scratch.

 

[Tornado]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

I have already expressed my views on similar threads
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...-sense/1550-should-airbags-abs-mandatory.html

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...dia-dont-come-equipped-fire-extinguisher.html

 

[ss80]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

May be the Indian government should give some discounts on cars that have ABS & AIRBAG instead of just being sub 4meters. This way the government can help is raising the safety level of cars.

 

[VivekRj.Dieselhead]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

May be the Indian government should give some discounts on cars that have ABS & AIRBAG instead of just being sub 4meters. This way the government can help is raising the safety level of cars.

I think you are pointing towards subsidy, yeah it should be given by government.

 

[K!NkY]

Alto K10 scores a zero in Latin NCAP crash test

Alto K10 scores a zero in Latin NCAP crash test, exposes its total lack of occupant protection

2013 Suzuki Alto K10 LatinNCAP Frontal Offset (Zero Stars - No Airbags) - YouTube

Source : Indian Autos Blog - Global Auto News provider based in India

 

[Tornado]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Please provide long form of NCAP here. http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...tions-acronyms-short-forms-mnemonics-tai.html

BTW , if no air bag = zero star rating s , then base varients and mid varients of all the cars in this poll are without Airbags

 

[Bopanna]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

I think more than airbags, what did Alto K10 in is a lack of crumple zones that absorb frontal impact. A lot of the impact was transferred to the passenger cabin and dash and into the front passenger and driver.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Guys, in India the number game is above all. Here we have people who believe that "life and death are in God's hands", but don't know that God has decided life and death or injury but not the number of broken bones.
Eh, these days I have stopped breaking my head arguing with such people and telling them the importance of safety featured.

 

[Tornado]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Rightly said , TSIV , this number game is also related to population(number of people living in this country) which makes life a cheap and cheapest thing.

 

[Gurrala74]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Yesterday there was an accident and Mr.Lal Jan Basha a TDP MP died on the spot. He was travelling in Innova seated in front co passenger seat and it was raining heavily. Due to bad visibility created by sudden heavy rain on the 4 lane road from Hyderabad to Vijayawada and driver applied sudden brakes(vehicle is equipped with ABS) while the speed is around 140kmph and the vehicle slipped completely from the road and hit the divider where the MP was not wearing the seat belt and driver was wearing. Air bags opened and driver saved his life and since MP was not wearing the seat belt, door got opened with the impact and he fell down on the divider and died on the spot with serious head injuries.

So moral of the story is even Airbags, ABS is there in vehicle, but a simple safety rule to wear the seat belt was not followed and a prominent person has died

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Who said airbags are a primary safety feature? Well, SRS airbags are basically airbags which serve the purpose of assisting seat belts by not letting the hard objects hit the person by opening that air bag in front of him.
Hence for any airbag equipped car, if you don't want the airbag itself to crush your head or chest then better wear the seat belts. Airbags are made to aid seat belts and if the belts are not tied then better they don't open because if the airbag opens in front of you and seat belt is not tied then dear this safety feature is equally life threatening as anything else is. Hence seat belts are a must to be tied.

 

[Iron Rock]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

^^ and hence its call SRS - Supplemental Restraint System!

 

[Tornado]

Re: Lack of Safety in Indian Cars – A Serious Concern?

Who said airbags are a primary safety feature?

No one.

He was travelling in Innova seated in front co passenger seat and it was raining heavily
.
driver applied sudden brakes(vehicle is equipped with ABS) while the speed is around 140kmph and the vehicle slipped completely from the road and hit the divider

ESP could have been helpful rather than ABS since it was raining.
Correct me if I am wrong.