Safer Cars For India: Safety Must Remain A National Priority

It has been heartening that in a country where safety on the road seemingly didn’t matter to anyone, is now front and centre. And it has all happened in a relatively short span of about 10 months. Is it simply that in a country teeming with millions, like society we as individuals also had no value of human life? Or is it that people didn’t really stop and think – or worse – know any better? Its safe to say that It is probably a combination of those three, coupled with the great traditional belief that if I am good, no harm will come to me!

Be that as it may, the moves from the govt to standardise safety must be applauded. It is positive to hear messages like these from policy makers, after years of hearing nothing but apathy and disinterest. I still remember how disappointed I felt when about 3 years ago, we had discussions with policy makers about the future of the automobile industry. After hearing my thoughts, the senior bureaucrat had simply said – the ideas on manufacturing and job creation are interesting, ‘par yeh safety-wafety to aap rehne hi do’, lets not waste the minister’s time. Really? Is it a waste of time to try and bring down the death rate from 377/day on our roads? Is it a waste of time to remind consumers that instead of that fancy sunroof or music system, it’s the child restraints that may save their children’s lives? Is it a waste of time to ensure that there are paramedic services which can be relied upon to be swift and effective after an accident? Is it a waste of time to make sure our public transport has drivers who are trained and qualified?

No sir it is not. It never should have been. But it’s a new day that is definitely dawning. I have been accused of colluding with certain vested interests to push an agenda that hurts automakers, and indeed our consumers. Again I refute that by simply saying this – even if you do have consumers stupid enough to protest price increases caused by the addition of safety equipment in vehicles, it should still be done as It’s for their own good. Sounds harsh? Well that is simply too bad! I also resent the uninformed and half-baked message I am seeing across media once NDTV brought the Global NCAP crash tests story to light. It is a misnomer that adding airbags will increase costs of an entry car by as much as Rs. 40,000. The costs increases would be a third of that at best. Once airbags are made in larger volumes locally, those costs will only climb down further. The same is true of ABS or anti-lock braking, which too is set to become standard.

Eventually the changes being recommended will give us a stronger and even more vibrant industry, with the capability to truly make world-class products. India needs to retain that edge in the automobile space, and climbing up the quality ladder is the smart way to go. It is no longer the cheapest manufacturing hub anyway, and while other countries fight for those bragging rights, India would rather be counted amongst those that are known for their quality and reliability. It dovetails beautifully with the Prime Minister’s ‘Make In India’ message too. Make in India, but make it better than the world. That’s the mantra that will set us truly apart. And all of this is worth every life saved. That cannot be argued now can it?