Wow, this thread is really long, and either side making some of the perfectly valid opinions (IMHO).
First, regarding any crash tests. NCAP, GCAP, PCAP..err, sorry not the PCAP (Techies may giiggle now).
If you watch these videos closely, almost all of them show crash against a non-deformable object, and hence, the car in question takes all the impact. But in most of the real life scenario, you hit another car, a building, or a pole. These tend to absorb most of the impact, so even if the impact speed is 64, your vehicle may not be the sole entity absorbing the impact. Another aspect is, NCAP has a few template crashes, but accidents are anything but template. So, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), when it comes to actual crash.
So, does it mean NCAP is useless? No, not by a long shot! NCAP is like ARAI rating in Fuel Efficiency, Sometimes you barely get there, other times you tend to exceed. Like I said YMMV, but generally a good indicator of safety of the car.
Second, Making the Acronyms mandatory : ABS, EBD, TCS, Infy (Hehe, repetition of same joke, this time all non techies can giggle).
Making these acronyms mandatory will achieve little. It is similar to making helmets mandatory.
What's wrong with mandatory helmets? Well, first, at least here is Bangalore, almost no-one Straps the helmet, and majority of those who strap, does so with a very very loose (Reference :
). None of which is going to help you in an instance of a crash. In fact, an unstrapped helmet means one less video/photo of a guy withering in pain on the road. Why? Because, at a collision, the helmet turns out into heat seeking missile that will take out the closest pedestrian. And with nothing outside (or inside) the riders head, it will dent like an Aluminium utensil (or bend like the iphone6).
So before you call me an intellectual (or a hippie) asking against helmet rule. I wear a full face Helmet (LS2). I wear "Rjays", padded, nylon Mesh Jacket, Spartan Leather Gloves with double stitching and impact guards, Denim pants and woodlands leather shoes that goes upto ankles. My wife wears full face helmet, reasonably padded jacket,denims and shoes while riding with me. Yes, this is how we travel to office on Bike.
So what was the point about the entire paragraph, that you wasted your 0.0001% of your life, all about? Acronyms are ONLY useful if the shell is strong. In fact, some of the cars sold in India had Cabin intrusion in crash. So even with Airbags and Seatbelts will make sure that you wont die immediately. But with a logo of your beloved manufacturers in your chest or face, and a tight embrace of steering wheel.
Again, unless Government MANDATES structural rigidity, most of the acronyms are wasted. So, yes crash tests are needed.
Third, chalta hai! :
Educate the drivers! Why? Airbags are useless without seatbelts. ABS is useless, if you did not know what it is meant to do. And none of these are substitute for sensible driving, but aide, when things do not go as per your plan. When I see an Audi ripping through the highway, I sometimes try to compete with him, but ultimately realise that, his car has more acronyms to save his derrière when things not go to his plan than I do (not to mention vastly superior brakes, suspension and Shell). So I will NOT take the same risks as he does, nor will I maintain similar distances has he does. His car will probably have a pair of camera eyes, radar and bunch of supercomputers working with him. His car is probably more aware of the environment than he is.For my car, Im the whole world, all it does is respond to my pedal inputs and my commands to steer, only thing she'll worry about is getting the fuel air mix right.
Fourth (Yes, Im not done):
What is the point of all the safety rules, when the ARAI itself is corrupt! Yes, there are corruption in ARAI. Believe it or not, we do have "Some" crash norms in India, and some of our cars do not even meet them! Come on, do you really think an OMNI will pass ANY crash test at all? But palms greased, engineers with new LED TV / Bike / Car later, we have Omni selling along side Super safe Swift and Wagon R (Relatively of course). In fact one of the best sellers had the entire seat rip off from the floor during a crash test. Do you think seat belts and airbags would help you when you and your seats are bouncing in gay abandon inside compromised shell of your car. But ARAI passed the car, and one or more of the ARAI's engineers had a temporary boost in their standard of living.
I may have ruffled a few feathers here, I tried my best not to. But I had to get it off my chest. Of course my thinking may be wrong (and in some instances I really wish I was wrong).