[wizardofid]

Originally Posted by smartmundu

...TATA motors ..... still going for a car which is exempted from crash test is company doing justice to the customer??

Isn't this moves encourages other auto manufcaturers to go for vehicles which can be exempted from crash test so they can also make cheap cars and play with the life of cutomers buying these cars???....

From what I understand from the first post, Maruti which was till not long ago a quasi-government organisation has been selling zillions of unsafe cars for over 20 years. Why blame Tata's for doing it as well, even if the 1Lakh car is in fact unsafe. Safety is relative. I expect at the very least it will first take care of pedestrian safety (huge rounded corners up front), and then worry about the occupants. Don't expect a 1 Lac car to be as safe as a Volvo. IMHO Tata vehicles are amongst the safest in their class, judging by the guage of their steel.

[smartmundu]

Originally Posted by wizardofid

IMHO Tata vehicles are amongst the safest in their class, judging by the guage of their steel.

Never to judge safety of car by gauge of steel.....Crumple zones and front structure of the vehicle is the main thing

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by ram

One really wishes, there is a minimum restriction of BHP/ton for vehicles permitted on the expressway (and more expressways to come).

To be expressway worthy, a vehicle must be capable of:[list][*]Accelerating rapidly. (acceleration of the convoys that spontaneously form on our arterial roads, depends on the most sluggish member.[*]Holding a steady 110 km/h without overheating. (The Indian consumer's usability expectation is no longer in the medieval ages).[*]And smooth unquestionable braking from that speed in a straight line without stability misbehavior.

Spot on.

Unfortunately in our country, highways often end up as the 'main road' of umpteen towns that they pass through. More often than note business springs up on either side of the 'highway' and soon enough there is the need of a byepass.

The whole issue of small vehicles (especially the painful minidors, tractors, Apes and autos) driving cheerfully on highways is also because there is no clear demarcation as to what exactly a 'highway' is.

So then we get into highway planning and town planning. And unauthorized construction. And that stinking sewer called politics that runs through all of the above.

So where do we start? Sometimes you start breaking your head for a solution and decide that ignorance is bliss, because this country is so scary - our foundation is so rotten and non-existent - any semblance of progress is superficial.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

So where do we start? Sometimes you start breaking your head for a solution and decide that ignorance is bliss, because this country is so scary - our foundation is so rotten and non-existent - any semblance of progress is superficial.

Well said Steeroid. I fully agree (post #s 40 & 43).

[Samurai]

Is the Tata one lakh safe? Before we target the one lakh car, let's consider how many B, B+, C segment cars are safe.

In our country, safety considerations are considered equal to cowardice. How many of us have been ridiculed for wearing our helmets and seat belts, when the law didn't required us to wear them? I live in a place where over 90% of the bike riders don't wear helmets. And half of them are women riders. I get paranoid sometimes driving my car around these clueless riders, one slight bump from my car can send them to their death, and yeah I will get blamed.

No, unless our countrymen and countrywomen value their lives, no manufacturer will consider making their cars safe, it makes no economic sense.

[sumitkalindi]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

I'm sorry I cannot agree. Jusy check out the Volvo fares for 4 people and then compare even with a petrol driven car.

Okay, my mistake so let me rephrase VOLVO with CONDUCTED TOURS.

[mohit333]

Just goolged and found the following links of interviews with Mr Ratan Tata wherein he has said that "The car will have an identity in itself which will meet global safety and emission norms"

Rs 1-lakh car in 3 years: Ratan Tata

ratan tata 1 lakh car - Google Search

[scooby05]

On the topic of safety of the Tata 1 lakh car, The car will be much more safer than 2 wheelers! since it will have the safety helmet[hood] compulsorily on and also 4 wheels for better balance!

[greatDrive]

Originally Posted by Samurai

unless our countrymen and countrywomen value their lives, no manufacturer will consider making their cars safe, it makes no economic sense.

.
Spot on. Thats what I wanted to say in my previous post.
Any Car will anyday be more safer than a Scooterist without a helmet, actually even with helmet.

[vasudeva]

Whether the Tata car would be `safe', only time will tell. But considering the number of Indicas and Tata trucks that I see everyday broken down and clogging the traffic, perhaps the number of broken down vehicles could increase, clogging traffic further.

[HSV]

Beautifully said - you've hit the nail on the head. To think we were one of the first civilizations in the world.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Spot on.

Unfortunately in our country, highways often end up as the 'main road' of umpteen towns that they pass through. More often than note business springs up on either side of the 'highway' and soon enough there is the need of a byepass.

The whole issue of small vehicles (especially the painful minidors, tractors, Apes and autos) driving cheerfully on highways is also because there is no clear demarcation as to what exactly a 'highway' is.

So then we get into highway planning and town planning. And unauthorized construction. And that stinking sewer called politics that runs through all of the above.

So where do we start? Sometimes you start breaking your head for a solution and decide that ignorance is bliss, because this country is so scary - our foundation is so rotten and non-existent - any semblance of progress is superficial.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

But considering the number of Indicas and Tata trucks that I see everyday broken down and clogging the traffic, perhaps the number of broken down vehicles could increase, clogging traffic further.

More than likely that you will be proved right. But then, it's a 'free country'! I can choose where I want to break down and no one can do a damn to me!!

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

More than likely that you will be proved right. But then, it's a 'free country'! I can choose where I want to break down and no one can do a damn to me!!

It happens in India all the time and can happen to all cars presently sold anywhere in the world. Tatas are known to be ethical employers and their companies are good place to work at, but I have observed that on my daily 70 km commute from East Delhi to Gurgaon, at least 7/8 out of 10 broken down vehicles are Indicas or some truck/bus/tempo (could be any of Leyland, Tata, M&M, etc). Now a broken down bike does not cause a problem but a broken down car (which the bike owner would probably upgrade to) does.

[phamilyman]

Firstly, this discussion is totally a pie in the sky till a prototype is public. Till then, its office productivity being lost by the millions

Originally Posted by ravibhat

TATA's 1 lac car is aimed for people who need vehicle for short distance travel in City limits. It won't make sense to take such cars in highway for sure.

Sorry ravi, just picking your post as an example of a particularly skewed logic I have seen - but who said cities are safer?

Surely, per km of road, indian cities are more unsafe. Heck, even the colonies we live in:
SeatBelts Can really save your life - India Travel Forum, BCMTouring.com - true experience of a friend's roommate!

I just hope tata comes for a car for all seasons, for all reasons , prolly safety as well as price

[Wheeliej]

Originally Posted by Samurai

No, unless our countrymen and countrywomen value their lives, no manufacturer will consider making their cars safe, it makes no economic sense.

That is the whole question. Even when wearing helmets is compulsory in Bangalore, there are a lot of people riding around their two wheelers without helmets and presenting sheepish grins when caught by the traffic police.

There was a very interesting article by Shashi Tharoor in Times of India a couple of Sundays ago. he summarised his article by saying that if people have a choice between clean air and money in the bank, they would rather breathe in very polluted & poisonous air and have money in the bank.