ABS & Airbag requirement in indian conditions

[pranil]

I have a query. As the Airbag is fitted in factory what happens after accident and Airbag is deployed.

1. Does the dealer is able to rplace it or the vehicle has to be sent to factory.

2. Does the replacement cost is covered in insurance fully or it is deprecaited same as plastic parts ( 50 % in first year itself)

3. IF it can be done at dealer level then why not offer it as standard fitmment /accessory like car security system.

[Mad Monkey]

the dealer has to replace the entire airbage section of the dashboard once it has been deployed .or the steering wheel .
it cannot just stuff it back in .

insuarance does not cover airbag replacement .


and the airbag system is quite complex
accelerometer next o the bumper and in the doors !

[turbo_lover]

dude ..
once an airbag is deployed the whole dashboard is completely ripped (incase of the passenger airbag) ..the whole dashboard console the steering wheel bit everything have to be replaced ..

remember the Totalled vectra thread ??
the passenger airbag deployed even when there was noone sitting next to the driver causing unessecary damage..i think with the passenger airbag option they should have a passenger seat occupied sensor *Standard* ..

[Mad Monkey]

most cars with airbags have a seatbelt sensor ...

like the octavia and the mondeo

[Surprise]

How much it cost to put that back into shape after the deployment of airbag? If it differs for different segment, I would like to know the prices for hatchback

[kashd]

Do we require ABS in Indian condition. ABS is mainly used for snowy or ver slippery conditions and also for very high speed driving. As these conditions are not common in India, do we still need ABS ?
Kash

[idnani]

I would say ABS is a MUST on indian roads, city and highway. You never know when an auto rickshaw or a bicycle will come darting out of a cross steet! On the highways, its hard to predict when that cow will decide to get up from the middle of the road! A lot of uncertainty and when something jumps in front of you, natural reflex is to hit the brake pedal with everything that you got! ABS will definately come in handy and IMO, should be a safety feature required on all cars. I dont mean anything negative but I am sure most people here will agree with me when I say that most drivers on Indian roads have little respect for the traffic rules, and in most cases, never recieved proper drivers education.

[drifter]

Importance of ABS has been discussed at length in the following threads.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buckle...?highlight=ABS

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...?highlight=ABS (Your new car must be equipped with these)

Drifter

[kashd]

Good observations idnani. I guess the cost of ABS will offset the safety aspect. Infact i was in two minds whether to go for ABS or not for the Ford fiesta i have booked. Whether Rs 25K extra is required or the disc brake provided with the car is enough.

[idnani]

Originally Posted by kashd

Good observations idnani. I guess the cost of ABS will offset the safety aspect. Infact i was in two minds whether to go for ABS or not for the Ford fiesta i have booked. Whether Rs 25K extra is required or the disc brake provided with the car is enough.

I dont understand what you mean when you say the safety aspect will be ofset by the cost. The way you have to look at IMO is will the extra 25k be worth the added safety feature in the car. In most cases, however powerful a car's brakes are, ABS prevents wheel lock up in an emergency, so you cant say the cars brakes are powerful so you dont need it.

If you need to stop ASAP, then by reflex one tends to hit the brakes hard so ABS will kick in then. In fact, with powerful brakes (large discs) and skinny tires, wheels will lock easier.

[adya33]

ABS makes driving experience safer
You never know when or how you might need it

[The Wolf]

Infact most of Indian cars have smaller discs than required which allows for the inertia to take those extra feet before stopping under tight peddaling but not slamming. Also, the inertia load avoids disc locking(thanks to disc slipping due to insufficient disc size), now this is more like a natural ABS!!! But the principle of ABS is different, an ideal ABS is a big, powerful disc with enough stopping power but with anti caliper lock mechanism.
Speaking about its relevance in India, I think it should be made mandatory atleast to all the 1L and upward automobiles.

[dogdiga]

As far as i know, ABS does not reduce the stopping distance of cars. It just ensures that we have steering control. Correct me if im wrong. Infact i've read that on particular road conditons(gravel probably), the stopping distance is increased compared to that of a car without ABS.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by dogdiga

As far as i know, ABS does not reduce the stopping distance of cars. It just ensures that we have steering control. Correct me if im wrong. Infact i've read that on particular road conditons(gravel probably), the stopping distance is increased compared to that of a car without ABS.

reduced compered to????

if you are a good driver driving on a good surface, you can stop at a shorter distance without ABS than with ABS. it's like advantage of manual gear over auto.

but if you skid (for whetever reason), the braking distance will be shorter for the ABS equipped vehicle.

choose your pick

[dogdiga]

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/proble...absbrakes.html

http://www.abs-education.org/faqs/faqindex.htm

Quoted from the same webpage

There are some conditions where stopping distance may be shorter without ABS. For example, in cases where the road is covered with loose gravel or freshly fallen snow, the locked wheels of a non-ABS car build up a wedge of gravel or snow, which can contribute to a shortening of the braking distance.