re: Safety last? Maruti Chairman Mr. R.C. Bhargava's controversial statements Quote:
Originally Posted by landcruiser123 He's correct with this statement.
[*]Driving License test: The Indian government's license system is rubbish. Who can't get licenses without driving a car? You get a test by slotting a car in first, driving a few hundred meters, taking a U-turn etc. A test that finishes in 5 minutes flat.
Most driving schools don't teach you about rules, right of way, safe overtaking, pedestrian rights, lane discipline. |
I agree that the licensing system in India is not anything to be proud of. But, I must say, it is improving. At least from the part of the country I got my licenses from - Trivandrum, Kerala. License test is 2 step process on the test day.
1. Drive in a H pattern track which involves driving in forward and reverse including turning right and left while on reverse. Engine getting off or going off the track (touching the metal rods marking the boundary) will disqualify you immediately. This step is video-graphed to prevent any sort of corruption. It is another matter that the driving schools train you well enough to tackle this track - but the attempt from RTO is honest IMO.
2. Drive on the open road and here the car has to be driven in all the forward gears. I was told that the evaluation is based on various parameters including adjusting driving position, adjustment and usage of ORVM and IRVM, usage of indicators, usage of hand signals, following speed restrictions and other traffic signals, following lanes, overtaking, regard for pedestrians, etc. Engine getting off in the course of driving will also lead to disqualification. However, the total time on the road will be ~ 5-7 mins only.
This was around 2 years back. I am not sure if the process has improved or deteriorated further as of now. I agree there is much more to be tested to evaluate a driver's capability. But I see we are slowly going in the right direction at least in the state where I took the test. I am still hearing stories how my cousins have got the license even without appearing for the tests in states like Tamil Nadu. Hope the centralized process is implemented ASAP and make sure only qualified drivers get to drive. Quote:
Originally Posted by landcruiser123 Also, the cars are tested at a certain speed only (revised periodically). Eg: 64 kmph for frontal impact in Euro NCAP. Statistics show that most crashes occur at this speed. If you crash at 120 kmph, your chances of survival is very less. |
You are absolutely correct Landcruiser. NCAP tests are conducted at a specific speed which statistically is the around maximum speed at which crashes usually takes place. Crashes at 100 and 120 is highly improbable unless the driver has his foot on the accelerator and dozed off or if there is no way the driver realized the potential crash until the crash actually took place. Usually there is a small time between the moment the driver realizes the chance of a potential crash and the moment the crash actually occurs - in this small time, the brakes are usually slammed and at the moment of impact, usually the relative velocity is around the speeds at which these tests are conducted. This is my understanding on the whole NCAP testing. A crash with a speed exceeding 100 means death in most of the cases. Quote:
Originally Posted by Acharya My wish list is given below. The key point is Indian roads have highly varied nature of dangers, airbags may or maynot help in all situations. Making basic safety measures to remove such dangers should be the top priority, airbags could help when we could establish predictability of trafiic on Indian roads.
1. Safety bars on side/ back of all trucks, which can withhold at least 40km hit.
2. Standardize width of commercial vehicles
3. Safety for pedestrians and two wheelers on roads
4. Removing cuts (without signals) on all highways
5. Provide seatbelts on all highway buses
6. Remove vehicles older than 20 years from all roads
7. Cancelling of license and seize vehicle for wrong way drivers, especially on highway
8. Stop entry of cattle on all national highways
9. Introduce minimum speed on national highway (car traveling on 100kmph and a threewheeler with 35kmph is surely a recipe for disaster)
10. Removal of Alcohol shops on highways
11. Control overloading and overcrowding
12. Stop carrying people like cattle in good carriers |
Acharya, I most definitely agree with most of the points you have mentioned. You have put a lot of thought and come up with this list and I really appreciate you for that
However, most of the points you have put forward are preventive measures - i.e. methods to prevent accidents and thus make the road a safer place. But the purpose of airbags is not that - it is a supplementary measure i.e. to save the occupant in the event of an accident which makes the car a safer one - hope you agree. IMO, importance should be given equally to preventive and precautionary measures. India is a country where people are not at all proactive. We need to be pushed by rules and laws to follow certain things. Occupant safety in vehicles is definitely one of those. While government needs to do a lot of things to make the roads safer, it also needs to make sure the cars are safer too. Only that will complete the circle IMO.
Last edited by Vigkey : 28th July 2015 at 14:22.
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