Indian Cars And Safety Measures

There have been wide discussions on the safety features in the cars, and the most important safety feature is the presence of Airbags in the cars. The airbags come into operation at the time of collision of a car with another vehicle or any other big objects like walls, trees etc. On 14^th January 2022, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways announced that “ In order to enhance the safety of occupants in motor vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers, I have now approved a notification to make 6 airbags compulsory”. At that time no timelines were mentioned, but a few months back also the minister had urged all automakers in India to offer at least 6 airbags as standard equipment on all variants of all models. Dual airbags (driver and passenger) became mandatory on all vehicles from January 2022. A driver airbag has been compulsory for all passenger vehicles since 1^st July 2019.

What type of vehicles are covered by the proposed mandate on six airbags?

Additional airbags are proposed in the ‘M1’ category vehicles, with the aim of minimizing the impact of frontal and lateral collisions on the occupants of both front and rear compartments. As per the proposal, two side or side torso airbags, and two side curtain or tube airbags covering also outboard passengers will be made compulsory.

What is an M1 vehicle?

Under the government’s homologation rules, vehicles are bucketed into broad categories. Category M covers motor vehicles with at least four wheels, used for carrying passengers. Subcategory M1 defines “a motor vehicle used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat. The category effective subsumes the bulk of passenger vehicles on India’s roads- from entry-level hatchbacks such as Suzuki Alto or Hyundai Santro to multi-utility vehicles such as Toyota Innova or Kia Carnival. These vehicles are employed for private use, alongside some commercial use by fleet operators.

What exactly is homologation?

It is the process of certifying that a particular vehicle is roadworthy, and matches certain specified laid down by the government for all vehicles that are built or imported into the country. Tests are done to ensure the vehicle matches the requirements of the Indian market in terms of emissions, safety, and roadworthiness, as laid down by the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

Why do vehicles need more airbags?

Airbags soften the impact of collisions by keeping occupants from into contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, front glass, and other parts of the automobile. Airbags are literally a question of life and death. As per reports, it is estimated that from 1987 to 2017, just frontal airbags saved 50,457 lives in the USA. India’s record on road security is among the poorest in the world, and Indian cars are famously behind the curve when it comes to offering safety features. The companies that sell the same car model in global markets choose to cut down on some key security features when they launch in India’s price-sensitive market.

What are the challenges in implementing the proposed safety mandate?

Pricing will be a key challenge, more airbags as standard equipment will drive up the cost of vehicles, including those on the budget end of the market. A frontal airbag in an entry-level car typically costs between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000, and side and curtain airbags could cost more than double of that. Most carmakers in India offer six airbags only in top-end models, and in variants that cost upward of Rs 10 lakh.

Manufacturers have also flogged that a number of entry-level models are specifically designed for markets such as India, and installing additional airbags will involve considerable re-engineering, including making modifications to the body shell and the inside compartment. Then there is timing, India’s auto industry is currently transitioning to stricter BS6 emission norms, and implementing the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) norms, both of which have cost implications.

So what is the car manufacturers’ argument here?

They argue that consumers get what they pay for, and very few buyers in the budget category want to shell out for a safer car. Maruti Suzuki executives say that driver-seat airbags were offered in the top variant of the Wagon R, but the model had to be withdrawn due to lack of interest.

So what is the counter argument?

Safety experts say that safety features such as six airbags, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), and rear wipers only add up to about Rs 30,000 to the cost of the car. It is only that they are presently non-mandatory that manufacturers provide these features only in top-end versions of cars, and with some other features jack up vehicle cost by Rs 1.2 lakhs or more.

Four to six airbags are mandatory in the USA and Europe markets. So why Indian car manufacturers can not offer the same features here. In my opinion, these manufacturers have basically using the car designs which were discarded in the USA, Japan, or Europe because of safety measures. As most Indian car manufacturers are in collaboration with some foreign company,  and now to suit the same model popular car in the country with additional safety features involved will cost them, and they do not want to spend money on that. What price factor they are talking about, if no cars are available without the safety features such as six airbags, the customer will have no choice but to spend few thousand more. If a customer can spend Rs 4 to 5 lakh on a budget end or entry-level car, then he can very well afford to spend some additional amount of Rs 30 to 35 thousand. Anyhow, most of the buyers of entry-level take car loans from the banks, and this additional amount may raise their EMI by Rs few hundred or so, which is affordable.

So friends, what so say in this matter. Please post your views/comments.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

28^th June 2022