[PGA]

I have been driving for last 40 years and have have driven across the length and breadth of the country. There are far too many unguided and misguided missiles on the roads these days. It is not the car which makes you feel safe or unsafe, its the environment on the roads, utter unconcern for other users and itch to get ahead at all costs that is costing so many lives on the road.

I drive about 75 kms on the highway atleast four times a week, one lesson I have learnt is to maintain speed of around 80 kmph, at the most. That way I don't get involved in catch me if you can situations as everybody is clipping in excess of 100 kmph, and it gives me time to react to a situation on the road.

Greatest worry on the highway is not in your lane but it is somebody jumping the divider and coming over head on from the other side. When I was young, enamoured by western movies, we used discuss about the fastest draws, somewhere we came across a figure of 0.6 secs needed for an average person to react and act, looking at some videos posted in our accidents forum I see that in many cases one doesn't get even that much time to react, so its better to be slow and safe than to test my fastest draw timings.

[Vysakh]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I am surprised to find that so many actually feel safe in their cars!

...

If a fully loaded lorry topples on your car or if a bus driver falls asleep at the wheel and rear ends you

Why limit the external factors to only when you're driving or inside a car?

By this logic, if you're indoors, the building could collapse, if you're outdoors, a tree could fall on you, could get hit by lightning, or a meteor or a random wild animal could come attack you.

The unnecessary worrying would only mean you're unsafe everywhere, all the time.

[Jakku]

I voted YES.
I own 2 cars
- Indica Vista GLS 2006 model. I feel safe in this car. I know the limitations and keep well within it. Have never had any safety issues in the last 11+ years of usage.
- Hyundai Accent Executive 2009 model. I feel safer (than Indica) in this car. Again, I am a sedate driver and have never felt "what if" kind of a situation.
- While driving my F-I-L's swift, I had the concern to a small extent, but never-to-the point where I thought of stop using it.

[reignofchaos]

Well I drive the closest thing to a tank on road - A Volvo. Doesn't get more safe than that!

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by Vysakh

Why limit the external factors to only when you're driving or inside a car?

By this logic, if you're indoors, the building could collapse, if you're outdoors, a tree could fall on you, could get hit by lightning, or a meteor or a random wild animal could come attack you.

The unnecessary worrying would only mean you're unsafe everywhere, all the time.

Its a function of probability my friend .

Some stats I could dig up from google. All figures per year in India

• Number of people dying by lightning strikes : About 2500 to 3000
• Number of people dying due to wild animal attacks : About 365
• Number of people dying in road accidents : About 1,50,000

I don't live in the Sunderbans, but I do drive about 1500 kms a month on Indian highways. What is more likely to kill me? A tiger or a reckless fellow motorist?

As a species we have evolved to fear since it promotes survival. Our ancestors feared wild beasts and survived and passed on their genes to us. We have other dangers to worry about.
I think being fearful on the road is better than being complacent and feeling indestructible just because one drives a 'safe car'.

[jayram.r]

Originally Posted by VeluM

IMHO this is going to be very subjective because it's not just the car but one's driving habits, the roads, traffic, speeds, and attitudes of other road users too that all play a part.

From real first hand experience (unfortunately) I know that my car will take care of me and surprisingly good care of herself too. So for now I have voted yes. I might start evaluating safety differently in the future, so that might change.

Second that. Most cars today come with 2 airbags options which will suffice for the front occupants. But what about rear? Is it safe enough if only seat belts are provided?

The whole subject of thin sheet metal would be relevant in case of a side impact or a hard front on collision or topple. My Dzire has front airbags so I feel safe but overall I can't vouch for the rest of car. Would be able to vouch for maybe an Ecosport with 6 airbags!

[Alfa_Romeo1]

A top management guy of my company lost his precious life in a road accident in his 520d last year. So the question really is not how safe your car is, it's how responsible you are when you are behind the wheels. Feeling safe while driving under certain speeds is a good thing, at the same time your so called safe car should not give you overconfidence so that you misjudge the speed and driving environment. One should be always aware of limits of own and of the car too. One should always be aware that the heavy vehicles out there are many folds safer than your luxury high priced possessions too. At the end, mistake is from other side or your side doesn't matter. There is a very thin line between a mistake and irresponsibility on the road.

Coming to my vote, No. This is from a guy who upgraded to Honda City from Punto. Apart from planted feel on the highway, there is no such "safe" feeling in the car. No offense to other city owners.

[rahul4321]

Voted no. My car is Ford Aspire Sports. The zero feel at dead centre and the flimsy build quality is very scary. My Bolero and my Punto Pure made me feel safe though

[mathranik]

Great thread!

Voted yes for both my cars - Lexus NX300 and Mini Cooper Countryman JWC. In addition to the electronics and active / passive safety features that they both come loaded with, the cars also lend a cushion of mental safety by the way the doors shut with a reassuring thud, how they both remain planted to the road when driven and, most importantly, how you feel insulated from the outside world with almost no noise leaking in - both, as a driver or an occupant.

[Brumby]

Voted yes because it's not just the car but lot of other factors like my driving style, kind of roads where I am driving etc that make it safe.

The most important thing that I do before the start of my every trip is the mental "risk assessment" which includes time available, condition of roads (single carriageway or proper roads with dividers), area where driving, kind of traffic density around i.e., cars, trucks, two-wheelers, condition of my car, probability of accidents and to what extent the damage will be (this purely depends on my driving style and how attentive I am while driving), if I find the probability of accident high I plan how will I drive to minimise the probability and that's it.

Cheers

[i74js]

Voted yes as from time to time I have upgraded my cars with what was available in the market considering my requirements and safety.

I have even moved away from sedans to small cars but have moved up from no active & passive safety to

- 2 Airbags with ABS (Punto) after selling off Indica
- 6 Airbags with ABS (EcoSport) after I lost my Verna

The Ford Escort has served me well for 2.4 Lac km and is now enjoying space in garage. Beyond this I have kept a simple rule - The car should be in your control and not otherwise. I generally don't go on triple digit speed (not even on Yamuna expressway or Ahmedabad Vadodara NE1; yet I have covered 700 - 800 km in a day multiple times).

I can't help how others will behave on road, but I should deliver what is expected out of me on the road.

I have witnessed multiple cars with team-bhp stickers (mostly on MG road connecting Delhi to Gurgaon as that is my daily route) jumping red lights, cutting across others with least concern about their own safety and safety of others on road. Merely pasting sticker does not make them true bhpians !

[jagzrk]

I voted for No. Though my current drive is a Ford Ecosport with decent safety, as they say.

But even if I were in a fully safety features laden Volvo car, I would still not feel safe. It's just basic physics that I fear, I guess. An object weighing more than 1000 kilos moving at 100 kilometers per hour simply does not inspire confidence of safety; dodging what-not on our so-called-highways with whatever available tarmac (or not at particular stretches, unannounced), unscientific civil works, unmarked speed-breakers and affirming(?) trust in all other motorists driving skills, just a few things over the top of my mind, is simply not re-assuring of any safety.

Add to that, if someone else gets injured, even if it's not your mistake and (usually) if you're the bigger vehicle. The safety is not re-assuring there as well.

Whenever I cross 80 and cruise around 100 (obviously on highways), I am well aware of the fact that this is a big risk and a small mistake from me or my fellow road users could well cost us our lives, no matter which car we're in.

Edit: Also, the fact that NCAP crash testing is done at 56 to 64 kmph is again re-assuring of the fear that basic physics simply does not allow a person to survive at speeds in triple digits.

[Beerus]

I drive a polo and I do feel safe in the car with me behind the wheel.

But I DO NOT feel safe in India. If you guys can understand what I am trying to convey.

[McLaren Roxx]

Voted Yes
The Tata Hexa is built like a tank, at 2.2 tonnes and has every safety feature that is currently available here.
All of course is relative to the speeds which you plan on doing. Drive sedately, enjoy your drive, be safe at all times.
Also have a dash cam installed for that extra peace of mind.

[aniketi]

Yes, I feel safe but up to certain speeds only. Currently i own Ertiga Vdi which has Airbags and ABS. It is not that light car, average build quality. But I feel safe up to speed of 100 KMPH. I know speed is not exactly relevant here. Once you start going over speeds of 100+ KMPH, i started to feel unsafe, may be purely due to mental block.