Why do we need increased safety standards when we have airbags in most of the vehicles nowadays?

The automobile industry in India is moving towards the next generation of cars with much more equipment, advanced features, and interconnectivity. The Government of India has planned to implement tougher standards to improve the overall safety of Indian vehicles including passenger cars. For this decision to work, it needs to be wholeheartedly embraced by the leading manufacturers in the country and overseas supporters like the Volvo, a manufacturer which offers top most safety in its entire international lineup.  

As 2018 came to a close, we have witnessed a change in the auto sector. Manufacturers are serious about offering better safety equipment rather than replacing it with other features.

First time in Indian automobile history, indigenously built cars like Mahindra Marrazo and Tata Nexon have qualified internationally acclaimed safety test with great success. Other manufacturers are expected to follow in the success reveled by Mahindra and Tata.

You must be having a question that why do we need increased safety standards when we have airbags in most of the vehicles nowadays. The answer is the colossal number of accidents. Let us take a look at some real numbers. Data reveals that a person is killed every four minutes in India due to road accidents. Now the fact is that only one-third of the 2.6 million cars delivered on road every year are equipped with airbags. Thanks to the price conscious market of our country which forces the auto manufacturers to exclude safety features in favor of other aspects of the car like the design, interior etc. to sell their products.

This practice is not going to happen anymore. The government is planning to make airbags compulsory in every road going car.

Along with the driver safety the automobile manufacturers in our country are also concerned with crash tests. The government is planning to set up new standards in the crash testing of new vehicles. To qualify these tests, manufacturers have to improve build quality. As a result, more advanced manufacturing processes will be integrated into the production of these cars.

The outcome of the stringent safety levels could increase prices of cars in India. As many components of safety equipment like airbag inflators are majorly imported. If car manufacturers want to integrate better safety standards in their upcoming vehicles without increasing the price much. Then they need to source these components locally. This can also be seen as an opportunity for employment. Many local jobs will be created which will boost the local economy as well.

Many automobiles manufacturers operating their plants in India as well as abroad are looking forward to making this happen in full force. Hyundai which also happens to be the second largest auto manufacturer in the country is calling for the production of the safety components in India. Overseas manufacturers like Volvo cars are also planning to do the same.