How safe are cars in India? Assessing vehicle safety and road risks

Due to India’s disconcerting road traffic accident statistics, the safety of cars on Indian roads is a critical issue. With the highest road traffic accident related deaths in the world, the intersection and non-intersection roads – especially national and state highways – being the hotspots for the majority of the mishaps. Over speeding, bad roads and lack of safety habits are the topmost reasons. Although there are measures taken by automobile producers and the government, to make the occupants of the cars as safe as possible, it is still very inadequate.

Head On Crash Engagement – Why Is It Required To Be Done Following In Tandem?

The fundamental purpose of BNCAP is to assure that Indian cars are safe from frontal crashes. This new project which is a part of the Global NCAP (GNCAP) recently launched the new Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP). With BNCAP vehicles safety is rated however this is still under the government‘s mandate which ensures transparency and trust however is quite the contrary for GNCAP as it is funded privately. Nonetheless, the program is still a volunteer basis which leaves the car manufacturers in control of whether they choose to conduct tests and if and when they do release them.

One of the most controversial issues relating to crash testing has been the speed of 64 km/h employed in offset frontal crashes. Although speed limits in Indian highways are between 100 – 120 km/h, experts justify that a speed of 64 km/h in the test setting translates to a higher impact during an accident in real life scenarios. This is because in a test, the car is made to drive into a fixed wall absorbing all the collision energy, whereas, in real-life, both vehicles are in motion which allows for the energy to be split between the two cars. This variation renders the use of 64 km/h as an adequate and useful threshold in determining safety.

Tata Motors’ Chief Product Officer, Mohan Savarkar, points out that before the collision, the driver would often have applied brakes or maneuvered the vehicle which would mean that the speed would have been reduced. Side impacts, which tend to be less harsh in comparison to head-on collisions, are also assessed under the settings of 50 km/h, which is again in deference to field work conditions.

New Car Safety Standards

In the past, car safety was primarily judged through how strong the materials used to construct the vehicle were. But now with the constant improvement of the technology, it can be argued that focus should be placed on features that help prevent accidents and mitigate injuries. Now,abs, ESP, crumple zones and airbags are qualities of almost all modern vehicles. These features help in both passive and active safety because the driver is assisted in avoiding crashes and passengers are helped upon some form of collision.

For instance, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki have spearheaded the implementation of safety measures in some of their models. The Tata Harrier and Safari models have now attained five-star safety ratings and Maruti Suzuki has made six airbags, electronic stability programs and 360 camera standard in most of their models.

Challenges Beyond Technology

In spite of these changes, factors continue to affect road safety in India. To that end, non-compliance to seatbelt usage is among the biggest challenges, since out of all fatalities, more than 79 percent involve seatbelt non-wearing occupants. Backseat occupants are usually unaware of how seatbelts aid during accidents, and therefore, are a threat to themselves and the people sitting in the front when a crash occurs.

Same is true with road markings and construction techniques that have a significant impact on the accidents. Poorly constructed guardrails, speed breakers that lack proper according construction, missing or really worst sign posts cause accidents to occur. Bus and truck safety features are not well implemented either, and these vehicles are the greatest number that plays on highways for transporting passengers and goods.

There is also the human element, which is constant throughout, for instance, excessive speed, dangerous overtakes or driving inebriated aggravate the risks of accidents. There is social media distraction of its own like recording driving at high speeds that can often be dangerous particularly with younger drivers.

The Role of Awareness and Regulation

It goes without saying that many BNCAP safety ratings cannot be the end goal or the only programs needed, or that they can operate in a vacuum. To that end, it is important that the general public understands the safety features of the vehicle and why traffic rules should be obeyed. When shopping for a car, customers should consider the safety features of the model, such as whether it is a higher rated or has more modern safety features.

The government should also be more vigilant on the regulations which it enforces, this includes the regulations on the cars as well as the buses and the trucks on the road. Proper planning of the roads, proper maintenance, and the installation of proper signs would aid a great deal in reducing the chances of accidents occurring.

Conclusion

Our vehicles are slowly becoming safer. However, their potential is nullified by poor infrastructure, lax regulations, and dangerous driving habits. Nevertheless, vehicles’ safety standards can be improved through initiatives such as BNCAP which is a good start, however, it is imperative all stakeholders contribute towards making the Indian landscape safer; manufacturers, policymakers, and drivers alike. Through these practices we will assist India in significantly reducing the high road traffic accident numbers and ensure a safer driving experience for everyone.