[sbraj]

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Safety is in the person behind the wheels and not in the car. Lady Diana was in the most safest car and still she died in the accident. Again I am not saying ignore safety requirements but one needs to do a trade off on cost v/s benefits.

Originally Posted by Caramelo

... and the first thing he did was a highway ride…..and big ring roads in the city at midnight in the night doing speeds of atleast minumum 100 kph!!! and what was the argument.he gave me! I won’t drive fast and you can’t drive fast in the city man!! Its impossible!

You know whats possible!! a collision with a speeding truck in middle of the night nowhere on the crossroads!! With such attitude!! Would we be able to walk again after such accidents?

Exactly. Safety is in the person behind the wheels. In this case, the guy thought before purchase that he would never drive at high speeds. He purchased a car capable of high speeds and this is the very first thing that he does - drive at high speeds. May be, to enjoy his car a bit more.

The bigger question here is - should auto makers be compromising on safety features to reduce the cost of buying? This phenomenon is not common in developed world, where the same manufacturers do not compromise on safety. Why does Indian market need a VXI or LXI? Remember, safety includes those of innocent others as well; not only the driver and passengers.

[ACM]

90% of the people I talk to think that Airbags are not required and are actually a major cost to repair in case of a mild accident. They feel that airbags will blow off in the case of a mild scratch on the bumper and they would need to replace the entire dash (replacement is true but the chances of them deploying unnecessarily are remote.)

Infact when my colleagues went for the top model in Linea (emotion pack) it was more for the Blue and me and stearing mounted controls, leather and that kind of stuff rather than the Airbags.

ABS on the otherhad is today overrated but people do expect that and feel the car is safer with it.

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by ACM

90% of the people I talk to think that Airbags are not required and are actually a major cost to repair in case of a mild accident.

. My colleague recently bought i10 Asta AT. Just after 2 days of purchase, he was telling me that he made a blunder by purchasing the asta version. He should have bought the Sportz version. Because he feels that ABS and airbags are not necessary for city driving. I tried convincing him a lot about wet roads (because of more rains) in Bangalore, reckless driving by cabbies etc, but nothing could convince him for the extra investment for these safety features. His simple argument was, he has been driving a zen automatic on the same roads for last 5 years and he never felt the need for ABS or Airbags.

Only thing I am happy about is that he has already purchased the asta model .

[Nitronium]

These people really need to talk to someone who has been saved by the deployment of airbags. No amount of other convincing will work.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Nitronium

These people really need to talk to someone who has been saved by the deployment of airbags. No amount of other convincing will work.

Exactly!

Guys, remember we live in a country where people dont wear helmets on 2 wheelers, let alone buy cars with ABS and airbags.

These are the funniest arguments i have heard against helmet usage-

• I dont need a helmet. Others (girls) should see me.
• Naa. No helmet. Results in rapid hair loss.
• Dude, i ride pretty good. No need of helmet.
• Unnecessary weight on the head! (Wonder if he was talking of helmet/ brain!!!)
• Imagine the pain of walking around everywhere with a helmet in one hand!

I dont see even 50% of the people wearing seat belts on the roads. Now that is the most basic safety feature we have, and people dont use it, even though law demands it in most places. Unless ABS becomes mandatory, i dont see many people option for it.

Once made mandatory, I believe the costs associated would also come down due to mass production!

ABS should be made mandatory for cars. Airbags can be optional in the budget car market!

[arnabchak]

Caramelo!!

thats one helluva review....

Perhaps you promised the moon and showed it too...

Eventually it was just dust that your friend was looking at ;-(

[Ramsagar]

Most of the first time owner never prefer a vehicle with safety features. This is due to lack of experience or knowledge. Many people purchase vehicle for sole purpose of traveling from point-A to B. God knows what happens in between.

People having knowledge and can't afford to buy one due to financial reasons is a different story.

People have a money but negligence of thinking themselves as safe drivers and they don't think what happens if other person is wrong.
They think it unnecessary spending money on safety features, is dead investment.

OT:People using a vehicle, were insurance is due to renewal will put you in trouble if met with an accident. difficult to get it repaired or total loss.

[Ravveendrra]

Almost everyone here agrees that safety features are important but like me are amazed that many do not buy them. I wonder what the money saved would do for them once they are dead. Further grouse is that they do not use the ones present in the cars - like not putting on seat belts (in which case the airbags do not deploy in many cars). This nonchalance is due to the fact that most people believe "It will not happen to me" as "I am a careful and good driver".

The only way to convince them is to point to the sand lorry / bus / Incicab taxi and say - you are an excellent driver but, that guy may just decide to crash into you.

For guys who do not wear a helmet - I point to the scars and my palm (more than 15 years old) and say - imagine that injury on my head - but for my helmet I would have died that day.

We can only tell them, they alone can decide to be safe.

Cheers,

[vijaythacker]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

ABS should be made mandatory for cars. Airbags can be optional in the budget car market!

I totally agree, some safety measures should be made mandatory, as in indian market most buyers are there for transportation mode, to move famly in one single vehicle.So better manufacturer provide all cars with basic safety features like ABS, airbags shall be optional.

[CoolFire]

Think of it, how many people in our country would wear a seat belt voluntarily? The most basic safety equipment (and the cheapest also) is not being valued, then what about ABS and airbags.

Further, is it too difficult to spot a car with ABS, Airbags, traction control and everything and people inside sitting without seat belts?

[rajtheindian]

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Lady Diana was in the most safest car and still she died in the accident. Again I am not saying ignore safety requirements but one needs to do a trade off on cost v/s benefits.

Check this post mate, Lady Diana's car was having all safety features, but she was not using it.....

CNN - Could a seat belt have saved Diana? - September 5, 1997
Same applicable here, having a car with Airbags is not going to save your life, but it sure it will if you use seat belts along with it...

[laluks]

While we do a lot of blames on our Indian attitudes, I'll get you a requirement from Chinese market to ponder on.

Driver airbags disable switch!!

[Caramelo]

Originally Posted by srikanths1

Well written post, looks like your dude is a future candidate for our "accidents picture" thread. "Hawa ki thaili" . Where did this guy get his license, from a pawn broker ??

i honestly tell you guys!! this is what language was used by my friend. and i was shocked!! and my thread is not supposed to be funny!!! but ironically it is. the conversation started by admiring jazz!! and this guys is a rich fellow. thats why i suggested sx4. and he said budget 8 lacs and big car in one sentence. and it went downhill from there!

thank you for what whatever response i have got. !!

sorry for bad posting sense mods. and apparently using to many dots? mods you can remove the dots and tittle it more appropriately if you like. .

i am not used to posting threads. mods plz give me links or point me a guide on how to start or post good threads if you can. and plz do edit where its needed. i apologize if a broke any rules!!

[gomzi]

Basic active safety features should be made mandatory on all cars. So then people will not avoid variants which have airbags and ABS.

I've heard even Maruti salesmen discouraging customers of booking a Swift VDi ABS on the grounds that it'll take 6 months to arrive!

If such safety features are made compulsary then there will be no way around it. Whether people use seatbelts or not, the safety features themselves will provide them with some basic level of safety.

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by gomzi

Whether people use seatbelts or not, the safety features themselves will provide them with some basic level of safety.

Airbags can kill you if you are not wearing your seat belt.