[King_pin09]

Well, it seems like baby steps taken in the right direction.

While it is commendable to enforce safety norms to protect occupants in a vehicle in an event of crash, at the same time the Government needs to realize (read: stop turning blind eye) that it is more important to avoid accident at the very first place. Most of the accidents are caused due to poor road conditions, incompetent and irresponsible drivers being allowed to drive, non enforcement of traffic rules etc. The only rules that are stringently enforced are the ones which feed the pockets of traffic cops like Insurance, PUC, Sun-films, fancy number plates, outstate numbered vehicles etc., whereas more critical areas such as lane discipline, proper signaling, speed control, use of high beams etc, are nowhere enforced. Moreso, the road conditions are appalling to say the least, viz., potholes/ craters, unmarked and unscientific speed breakers, open manholes right in the mid of the road, rocks, boulders, sand, steel bars and other materials lying bang on the road.

Mind me nothing substantial can be achieved by enforcing norms which selectively holds the responsibility on vehicle manufacturers alone whilst turning blind eye towards much larger and influential factors that rest within the Governments administration.

[vin_b]

Came across an article which mentions about GoI coming up with vehicle recall policy, which is the need of the hour. I hope it comes through and implemented as per International Standards

Source

Automobile companies that don't recall vehicles despite having clear evidence of safety defects may face penalties starting October 1, according to rules in the making. Also on the cards is a government-appointed nodal agency that could launch its own investigation into safety issues and even recommend the government to order a recall.

India has no mandatory vehicle recall policy, unlike in developed markets like Europe, Japan and the US. Local automakers follow a voluntary code of recall adopted by the industry in July 2012, and have since recalled about 2 million vehicles to fix air bags and problems with brake systems. But transportation experts and consumers rue lack of government norms to make it compulsory for firms to act.

"No penalty shall be levied in a case where the manufacturer voluntarily declares and undertakes a safety recall with due diligence. If the manufacturer fails to announce a safety recall where clear evidence is available as per the recall definitions, the Central government may issue appropriate directions and also impose appropriate penalty as per provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989," it says.

[libranof1987]

Discussed here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3691969

A post on that thread mentions that the Govt. had already decided otherwise.

Both articles are on ET; so it's anybody's guess :P

[volkman10]

Here are some statistics from Maruti Suzuki,

Just 37% opt for airbags. For Alto, only 5% take airbag option.

Link

[varunswnt]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Here are some statistics from Maruti Suzuki,

Just 37% opt for airbags. For Alto, only 5% take airbag option.

Link

This is just pathetic attitude of Maruti. Instead of using the market leader advantage and make cars with airbags and abs as standard fitment, Maruti always tries to circumvent it with some statistics or talking about its compliance with India's laws.

First they make it optional, second they don't dispatch more of optional variants, third Maruti dealers try to scare you with long waiting for optional variants and illogical reasoning for no use of airbags on our roads. Then they come with such statistics to justify for lack of safety awareness of Indians.

Maruti is only busy with squeezing out every last rupee profit from its models no matter at what price point they sell it, this is clearly visible in their cars becoming lighter after every iteration.

[ashishs]

I think it is unfair to blame Maruti. They should be commended for the initiative. They have after all offered the customer an option. If they customers are not taking it then why blame them. The long waiting period is probably because of the low percentage of sales. I dont think it is easy for them to support additional variants which sell very less. They might even be making them on order as dealers might also not want to stock a slow moving product.

They are after all a profit oriented company and it is no crime to think about their profits first. Same for the dealers. Maruti has made the first move in making cars safer. It is now up to us to spread awareness and influence everyone we know to not buy a car without airbags.

[sgiitk]

Given our mindset - safety is for the Gods, and I have God protecting me, I think legislation is the only real option to make airbags mandatory. I just do not see any other way out. Personally, I will make at least two (driver and front Pax) mandatory for starters.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by ashishs

I think it is unfair to blame Maruti. They should be commended for the initiative. They have after all offered the customer an option.

Agree to your view that it is not right to blame Maruti in case of customers not wanting airbags. However, my issue with them is regarding giving ABS/ Airbag options only on paper.

TBHP discussion link on the same

[veyron_head]

Originally Posted by ashishs

I think it is unfair to blame Maruti. They should be commended for the initiative.

I have had a personal experience with this at the Maruti Showroom. They deliberately discouraged me with the following:

a.) Minimum 2 months waiting period for the Swift LDI (O) optional variant (no upper cap!) . But immediate delivery for the regular LDI.
b.) Significant discounts on the regular swift and NO discounts for the LDI(O) variant.

Now why would any unsuspecting customer buy the (O) variant?

Me thinks they only offered the (O) to create this report to 'prove' Indians don't care about safety. They can now stop offering the (O) variants.

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by veyron_head

Me thinks they only offered the (O) to create this report to 'prove' Indians don't care about safety. They can now stop offering the (O) variants.

+1. The optional safety on lower end variants is just a hogwash in my opinion. Other than those few who are blessed by god,no one has received them.

Originally Posted by veyron_head

Minimum 2 months waiting period for the Swift LDI (O) optional variant (no upper cap!) .

Despite many warnings on not to book the optional safety variant, I went against the tide by booking Swift Ldi(O).
It has been more than 90 days since I made the booking. The options that the dealer offers me now, is to either cancel the booking or buy the Vdi with Airbags,which would defer the delivery by another 1-2 months.

I would rather have booked Baleno and enjoyed the pre-price hiked Baleno.

The non-availability of these variants is a chicken and egg situation only in the case of Maruti.

[NPX]

Majority of the people don't want to pay a paisa for anything.
Make paying of taxes voluntary and I'm sure close to zero people will pay taxes.
It is the responsibility of the government to make such laws which can reduce the no. of accidents and deaths in these events.
Making abs and airbags (atleast for the driver and the front passenger) should be the first step in this direction and for this there should be no points in the BNVSAP ratings.

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki offers raksha pack to enhance customers' bandhan with safety. But statistics reveal that only if the car manufacturers make this as mandatory this will still be only on paper.

Maruti's sales pattern reveal only 37% of its customers choose safety features, and for this 34% the main contributors are the Baleno and Vitara Brezza which get the safety equipment as standard.

Maruti Suzuki dealerships these days, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Maruti started offering airbags and anti-lock braking system (ABS) as an option — at an extra cost of Rs 6,000-20,000 on entry-level cars — a year ago, but the demand for these safety features has been dismal.
Although Maruti offers airbags and ABS in almost all models, either as standard or as an option, only 37% of its customers choose safety features (driver airbag/co-driver airbag, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution or EBD).

The scenario in the top-selling mini segment is disturbing. The Alto, where just 5% of customers are opting for airbags, accounts for almost 16% of Maruti's domestic sales and 21% of passenger car sales.

Link

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Given our mindset - safety is for the Gods, and I have God protecting me,

Lol, why spend 20K on air bags and ABS when the 100 Rs. god statue stuck on the top of the dash will protect you .

[apachelongbow]

If we are serious about safety lets legislate a simple mod for all cars. If the seat-belt is not fastened, the car will not start, if the seat-belt is removed or cut, the engine will stop. It doesn't take many gizmos to put a simple weight sensor on each seat and tension sensor to check if the seat-belt is used or simply locked behind. As I said before airbags are useless and infact dangerous if used without a seat-belt.
Likewise if one is serious about preventing drunk driving, one has to incorporate a breath analyzer sensor and blower, so please blow to start the engine

[GKMahajan]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

If we are serious about safety lets legislate a simple mod for all cars. If the seat-belt is not fastened, the car will not start, if the seat-belt is removed or cut, the engine will stop. It doesn't take many gizmos to put a simple weight sensor on each seat and tension sensor to check if the seat-belt is used or simply locked behind. As I said before airbags are useless and infact dangerous if used without a seat-belt.
Likewise if one is serious about preventing drunk driving, one has to incorporate a breath analyzer sensor and blower, so please blow to start the engine

Very good idea!
Additional comment: have the seat belt logic for ALL seats! It is not as if the rear seat is totally safe and neither is the person in the back seat of lesser value!

Girish Mahajan