![]() | #91 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Cubicle
Posts: 1,519
Thanked: 2,436 Times
| ![]() Let us begin by fixing the one thing that affects road safety the most. The human being. First step in road safety - put that into school curriculum. Begin with educating the human beings and making them have a safety mindset. Then, ensure that anyone who is in any danger of becoming a bad/unsafe driver does not get a drivers license. And then, if someone is driving without a license, make them walk all the way to their destination after they pay a hefty fine. Once that ball is rolling, we can start talking about safety features in cars, bikes, trucks, and buses. However, here, I would balk at mandating safety features by law. Yes, that's right, I don't agree with the Western approach of "ABS, ESP, seat belts, 6 airbags, etc etc fitted or else no selling the car here". Instead, test all vehicles for safety and make the manufacturer prominently publish the test results and safety rating related information at the point of sale to the prospective customer. Let the customer choose to buy an inherently unsafe car with open eyes. If that is what the mass market wants, well, then they deserve it. |
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![]() | #92 |
BHPian Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: TN-22
Posts: 144
Thanked: 133 Times
| ![]() Well, the government is starting to take care of car drivers and passengers, but what about the pedestrians and 2 wheeler users on the road? Also need is good road, proper signalling and pedestrian system along with near perfect licensing and strict enforcing of road rules with stricter penalties for abusers. |
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![]() | #93 | ||
BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 33
Thanked: 12 Times
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However, I don't find anything wrong in mandating basic minimum safety kit in all models. After all, it is in the same spirit that there are regulations on other fronts as well (for instance, not carrying flammable substances on trains / public transport - ok, may not be the perfect example). Given our collective mentality which is driven by cost based purchase decisions, the government should step in with this. Quote:
1. Making the driving licenses short lived ones - the current ones are valid for almost 20 years after issue (or you cross 60 years, whichever is earlier) if I am not wrong. We need to have a 5 year license system post which everyone will be mandated to take up the driving tests again 2. Improve and make the policy of getting licenses more strict - today these are a joke.; and, please, remove corruption 3. Educate, sensitize and make people aware that everyone has the same right to drive on the road. Just because you put a sticker of 'Road King' on your bumper doesn't mean you literally are. 4. Improve infrastructure - better roads, dedicated bike / rick lanes (for god's sake, remove those obscenities which are called speak breakers and replace them with scientific ones - and let's start from Bangalore ![]() 5. Retrofitting - Any safety feature that gets mandated should be made keeping in view that there should be a retrofit option. After all, there would be too many 'unsafe' cars trolling the roads after this regulation is implemented. As an aside to the more knowledgeable folks here - is retrofitting ABS and airbags possible at all for 4 wheelers? Cheers! Void Last edited by void_001 : 12th November 2014 at 18:02. | ||
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![]() | #94 | |
BHPian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 982
Thanked: 472 Times
| ![]() "More safety features in cars will mean less road safety" (R C Bhargava, Chaiman, Maruti Suzuki) ![]() Source Link: http://indianexpress.com/article/bus...-maruti-chief/ Quote:
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![]() | #95 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() Quote:
So, it is fine to add alloys, double DIN touch screen head unit, keyless entry, auto wipers and auto headlamps, etc. But if you add safety features, the chap will skip buying a car and buy a bike. What nonsense Mr. Bhargava. There is a reason, for retirement age as one tends to go senile after a certain age. Why don't you sit at home and let the younger generation take control of their destiny, safety & life !! Last edited by 4x4addict : 12th November 2014 at 20:54. | |
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![]() | #96 |
BHPian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 167
Thanked: 292 Times
| ![]() I hope government doesn't listen to insane people like this Maruti higher management. Totally irresponsible statements this Maruti clan is making. Hope to see their brand sink. Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP |
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![]() | #97 | |
BHPian Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: TN-22
Posts: 144
Thanked: 133 Times
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Going by the government directive, we will soon see older cars piling in junk yards and the next business we can confidently invest is going to be car-breaking. ![]() | |
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![]() | #98 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 878
Thanked: 1,478 Times
| ![]() I don't support this move. 1) The majority don't care about safety. Just because a select few BHPians want it, why should the buyers of VXis and VDis be burdened with the cost of airbags and ABS? Its a free world and they should be allowed to choose how they want to live (or die). 2) Most A and B segment cars are structurally unsafe. In cars like the i10, Swift, Go etc, airbags would add no more value than having two rubber balloons stuck on to the dash. It would be better if the government take steps to set up an independent crash test facility, rate the cars, and make the manufacturers display the ratings prominently on the car and all advertisements. Buyers then can make an informed decision. |
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![]() | #99 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() Quote:
It's us who should be making the calculated and thought out decisions in anything. This is just like helmets. Its an individual's choice as to whether he/she should wear it or not. (I wear it always!) If the government wants to enforce, it should only enforce that the airbag+ABS should be available as an option for ALL variants, so that the customer isn't forced to buy the insanely costly top trims. If a customer does NOT want airbags - so be it. | |
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![]() | #100 | |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 617
Thanked: 301 Times
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![]() | #101 | |
BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 48
Thanked: 115 Times
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I totally do not buy the argument that people will get back to two wheelers just because they could not afford a car with safety features. How is that even an excuse for high end cars like Swift ? People who cannot afford to buy a base version of Swift with airbags can downgrade to an alto with safety features instead of a two wheeler. Perhaps, having such strict safety features may create a new market for, cheap, safe two seater cars. So this argument of "people cannot afford safety features and will go back to two wheelers" is imho very wrong and outright evil. | |
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![]() | #102 | |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 878
Thanked: 1,478 Times
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Every individual has the right to decide what his right for HIM. Even a patient has the right to deny medical treatment or choose the kind of treatment he wants. If somebody decides that he does not need protection via airbags because his creator will protect him, it is his right to believe so, however stupid you might find that. If the government is going to mandate, who will decide what all should be mandated? ABS? ABS + EBD? ABS + EBD + 2 Airbags? ABS + EBD + ESP + TCS + 2 Airbags? ABS + EBD + ESP + TCS + 8 Airbags? Or just outlaw any car south of the Volvos? Where are you going to draw the line as to what amount of safety is good enough? It is a democracy, why let the government choose how you have to live? Choose yourself. | |
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![]() | #103 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() | ![]() Right Mr civic-sense, why have lane divisions, traffic rules, traffic signals, banked turns, properly asphalted roads as well... people will take care of their own safety! why should i be forced to wear seatbelts! Why should i turn on my headlamps at night! Why should i be bothered with pedestrians on roads and not mow them down !why have police, better let everyone buy the biggest gun they can afford! where do you think you live? wild wild west? Last edited by blackasta : 13th November 2014 at 13:46. |
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![]() | #104 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() Quote:
Incidentally, most of the things you mentioned are NOT available or not upto the mark in my part of the world. Did you not buckle up before it was made mandatory? I did. Without anyone telling me to. And I'll not get started about the police and the wild west as here only the good people are prohibited from carrying a gun ![]() PS - I'm not a hardcore opponent of the mandate of ABS and airbag at all. I'm totally fine with it. Just not overjoyed by it per say. Last edited by Reinhard : 13th November 2014 at 13:57. | |
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![]() | #105 |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() Certain things have to be mandated by the government. Otherwise why have even the seat belts or helmets mandatory? In fact why have all the traffic rules at all if there should be the free-will concept for every moron on the road and if every individual is capable of taking the right decision for himself. Of course the level of safety that has to be mandatory needs thorough brain storming. We must realize Indian car market is evolving - its going forward and the definition of 'basic safety' will also move up with it. But right now its very clear that car manufacturers have been taken full advantage of practically no safety regulations in India. People buying costly ZXI, ZDI variants of even a so called premium hatch have been cheated as they have got structurally unsafe cars. Safety conscious people have been forced to buy gimmicky stuff just to get airbags. Life saving mundane features like ABS, airbags have deliberately been kept out of reach of many by offering them only on the highest costing model (so that car makers can sell their overpriced accessories with them). Private enterprises do need some checks for the benefit of common man. |
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