How safe are our cars in India?

Hyderabad: In recent years, there has been considerable debate about the safety of cars in India. Indians used to consider only mileage and cost factors before buying a car, but with growing awareness people have started looking for advanced safety features in a car.

The recent death of Cyrus Mistry, former chairman of Tata Sons, in a road accident has once again given rise to the debate. Mistry was traveling in Mercedes Benz GLC which has a five-star safety rating as per the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP). However, officials have confirmed that he was not wearing the seat belt when the car hit the divider.

In India, the driver airbag has been made mandatory in July 2019.  In 2021, airbag for the front row co-passenger, including seat belt indicators and rear parking sensors, was also made compulsory by the government.

Initially, the automakers did not adhere to the new rules, but they had to follow the guidelines as there was immense pressure from customers to implement safety features in cars.

Last year, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, in its draft notification approved in 2021, made 6 airbags compulsory in eight-seater capacity cars from 1 October 2022.

Many luxury and high-end cars, including some mid-variant and SUVs in India are offering 6 or more airbags. However, the problem is with small cars as manufacturers have raised objections to implement the guidelines.

People in India prefer to buy small cars because they come at a low cost. If manufacturers equip cars with all safety features, the price of the small cars will increase naturally which may eventually affect sales.

The transition from BS 4 to BS 6, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the shortage of semiconductors have already paved the way for the rise in the prices of cars, and this new 6 airbag rule is expected to further impact the sales volumes.

While high-end and top variant cars are hitting the market with international standards of vehicle safety, cars below Rs. 10 lakh are being manufactured according to Indian rules and traffic conditions.

With growing awareness about safety, buyers have started scouting for cars with features like airbags, driver assistance features, anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), Speed Warning, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and many more. All these safety features that were once considered to be a luxury are now being offered by car manufacturers.