Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry’s death in a car accident has brought fresh focus to enhanced security in cars. Experts believe that following road safety measures and rules is more critical as better highways and better cars have ensured greater speed.
The moot question, according to experts, is whether having better safety features alone can ensure accident-free roads. Also, is there need for better road safety rules compliance and accountability.
“Blame it on governance and accountability. All cars have seat belts for all the seats and there is a rule to follow for people sitting at the rear seat. But, does anyone follow that?” Rohit Baluja, President, Institute of Road Traffic Education and Director College of Traffic Management told BusinessLine.
He said faster cars, better roads require stricter compliance with rules. For instance, he said, on faster routes too, there are hardly any penalties for heavy vehicles plying on the right or the fast lane.
“Heavy vehicles going on the right direction are violating the rules so you end up violating yourself in order to overtake that slow moving vehicle,” Baluja said, adding that road accidents are routinely under-reported and rarely ever investigated scientifically.
“There are 820 fatalities per day, but we not reporting properly. WHO says 23 per cent of road fatalities in the world happen in India, but we are declaring 50 per cent of it...not even one accident is scientifically investigated. We investigate the fault of the vehicle,” he said.
The particular vehicle that Mistry was travelling in was a sophisticated car with maximum number of safety features. The GLC 220d 4MATIC has a ‘pre-safe system’ where the front seat belts can be electrically pre-tensioned in hazardous situations. At the rear, it has curtain airbags.
According to Mercedes-Benz India website, the GLC’s pre-safe system reduces the forward displacement of the occupants during braking or skidding in an impending accident. Besides, the knee bag in the model protects legs from contact with the steering column or the dashboard in a severe frontal crash preventing or lessening the severity of injuries. It also has a tyre pressure monitoring system which provides warning in the event of a drop in pressure.
Airbags offer security provided seatbelts are fastened. Mostly, airbags and the seatbelts work in tandem – mechanically they go hand in hand.
RC Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India, told BusinessLine in a recent interview that adhering to safety norms is decidedly the greatest preventive measure against accidents.
“Prevention does not cost the customer any money. How many accidents have happened because there’s some failure in one of the cars safety systems – whether it is braking, steering, lighting, signalling...do we know? But, we know that a large percentage of vehicles on roads today do not meet the fitness standards which are prescribed for those vehicles when are they are produced in the factory,” Bhargava had said.
He said wear and tear happens, but there is no system in India of the cars being subject to periodic fitness tests and certification. “Is that not a priority? But, that is not promoted by anybody because it doesn’t lead to sale of anybody’s products,” he noted.
“For road safety, there are five points that have to be followed – safety of roads; vehicle safety and policy corrections; education and mass awareness; enforcement and emergency care. If we work on these, we will have better road safety,” KK Kapila, President emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF), said.
There has been a lot of work going on and by 2025, road fatalities will be reduced in India substantially, he added.