Who needs a safe car - an expert or a novice?

[GT3]

A novice would require a safer car since he may not be well versed in avoiding an untoward incident. Also an expert would require a safer car since there are many novice drivers on the road, who have the higher possibility of causing an untoward incident.

[ashutoshb]

Let's forget who is driving the car. There are times when there is little you can do, expert or novice.

Take a look at this video and tell me if it mattered who was behind the wheel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPuWiQqy5Lc

I have read about at least three such cases in Noida - Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressways.

A car with both better active and passive safety features should always be preferred.

There is a reason why I criticize Omni, Datsun Go twins and Scorpio. Their weak body shells are death traps in an accident like above.

[prashanthyr]

Disclaimer. Have read only the opening post and commenting

Doesn't matter if you are an expert or a novice. Safety is paramount. Also you can be an expert or the best driver on the planet but you can't control external factors like nature, road conditions or other users.

This argument is similar to the ones I hear about folks not wearing helmets or seatbelts for short journeys. Pretty daft idea.

[Hells Bells]

It is like asking - would a marathoner need less cleaner air than a John Doe as his lungs are better at retaining oxygen than the usual guy! Everyone needs a safe car. It is what they do with it which makes it more relevant.

I remember the first post speaking of "what car" thread where the cars for better half/parents tend to focus on "small", "easy to navigate" etc & not safety. Honestly, when I was looking for a car for my better half, the criteria of safety was on-par with what I need in my car. It is the feel of the car which differentiates between an expert and a novice's choice - not the underlying safety construct.

[Subby]

Safety is everybody’s business, be a novice or expert!

And most importantly, safety practice is a culture and one must believe on its priority, over other creature comforts in a car.

The hardware like ABS, Airbags improves the safety of the riders further, when the driver, while driving, also follows the other safety rules, taking care of his/her surroundings and fellow passengers.

Having said that we should also compare the present condition vis a vis changed scenario with respect to safety. If a family is sending their kids in two-wheeler due to financial constraints or lack of public transport, it is better to use/buy a car even without safety hardware like ABS, Airbag, since that will improve the safety factor in comparison to existing unsafe condition.

But with a specific budget, choice of car should not depend just on affordability; it is better to buy a used “safe car” than a new one with poor safety ratings!

[torque!!]

My take on safety is that our auto industry needs heavy regulation. We have let manufacturers self regulate but they have never ever done the right thing. They continue to sell cars like Alto under the pretext of offering something for the entry level buyer. The real intent of course is to make money by increasing the reach of every vehicle they make. They will never ever say that we will make a safe car even if it costs 50k more even if it puts it out of reach of some buyers. Govt. needs to set a standard for a minimum acceptable safety criteria. I know they are trying to move in the right direction and mandating crash testing. That's the only way to go. Force auto manufacturers to not sell inferior products like the Alto. Yes, i know I am going to irk a lot of folks by calling the Alto an inferior product. But, it is one of our largest selling cars and it needs to set the standard. Banning it will make a nice statement for everyone! Again, not every car needs to be a Merc or Volvo when it comes to safety. Something like an Alto should probably be able to save the occupants in a 50kmph crash and get a permit for city only use. For highway use, a car must have a better safety rating. Yes, I know it's difficult to implement such things in India - but we have to start somewhere...!

[meetgds]

There's a major share of accidents where in only one of the involved parties had the fault. In such a case, how does it matter if the other one was a novice or an experienced driver? His chances of getting injured remain the same. Hence, safe cars are needed by all, not just experts or beginners.

[skchettry]

We need good roads and good cars with high quality safety features; no doubt about that. But since usually during an accident the fault primarily would lie with one party, it is very much pertinent to educate drivers on road safety, punish reckless drivers, have zero tolerance for 'drink and drive' and train drivers on Defensive Driving. Defensive Driving is already a mandatory course in many overseas companies and usually follows the primary licencing procedures.