[Old_Salt]

Originally Posted by IP_Man

Well said.

A safer disc brake is more important than sunroof but manufacturers are busy in providing popular features than making a safer version of the car.
.

Ofcourse, Costumer Demands, Manufacturers Supply!

We can talk and have been talking on this forum for eternity about how manufacturers, govt, rules, etc should make it mandatory to have cars crash tested before launch, NCAP ratings displayed but harsh truth is in the sales numbers which speak otherwise.

I am all in for releasing these figures before cars are launched but at same time the mindset of the customer also has to shift.
Car manufacturers should not be forced to make changes because of a fear of legal battles at a later stage but because the customer will refuse to buy their car in the first place.

The day customer understands that if he thinks safety is expensive, he should try an accident , we will see a paradigm shift.

[Clouseau]

When so many of the Top 10 sellers last year have a Zero Safety Rating, why blame the manufacturers? See below...

Below are NCAP Ratings of Various Indian Cars sold

Hatchback NCAP Safety Crash Test Rating NCAP Agency Additional Comment
Tata Nano 0 Star Global Unstable
Hyundai Eon without Airbag 0 Star Global Unstable
Maruti Alto 0 Star Global Unstable
Maruti Eeco 0 Star Global Unstable
Maruti S Presso 0 Star Global Unstable
Datsun Go with Driver Side Airbag 1 Star Global Unstable
Renault Kwid with / without Airbag 0 Star Global Unstable
Maruti Celerio 0 Star Global Unstable
Hyundai Grand i10 without Airbag (1st Generation) 0 Star Global Test irrelevant as GRand i10 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen Nios on Sale whose NCAP crash test rating yet to be done

Cheers!

[BackInTheFold]

Originally Posted by GTO

Good topic. If manufacturers can launch facelifts, major new features (e.g. panoramic sunroof), new engines & automatic transmissions as the product matures, I don't know why a "safer" version cannot follow.

Kia is perhaps the best subject for this exercise. If they remove all the cost-cutting from the Seltos and make it a 5-star rating car, it will earn a lot of goodwill as a manufacturer that took feedback seriously. Of course, that move will infuriate existing Seltos owners, but that's a small price to pay if we have to look forward, not backward.

To paraphrase Joseph de Maistre, we get the cars that we deserve.

Unless most buyers (and I exclude TBHP members) prioritise safety among their purchase criteria, car manufacturers will not.
The other push could come from the government with the equivalent of the National Transport Safety Board that looks across infrastructure, driver training/licensing and vehicle/equipment safety standards. Unfortunately, I don't think such an initiative is likely either, though God knows we need it!
We spend the equivalent of 3-5% of our GDP in road accidents. 70% of accidents involve young people. (Source)
Yet road safety is not a concern for the citizen or the government alike.