While casually conversing with my wife, she mentioned to me that my Dad had booked the ‘slightly cheaper’ Volkswagen Vento.
I immediately asked her what ‘slightly cheaper meant’ – was it a non-automatic and non leathered seats version? My wife hesitated and told me that actually my Dad had booked the ‘No ABS’ and ‘No Airbags’ version!
Just as I began freaking out, she mentioned that she had already got my Dad to convert to the ‘higher’ range model.
This bough back memories of the Hyundai i10 my wife had bought for herself a couple of years ago. She wanted a cute, easy to drive car and settled on the i10.
When we went to the Hyundai showroom and began discussing the versions of the i10 on offer, the Salesman quickly seized us up and understood that my wife was ready to buy asap. When we asked for discounts and price benefits, his direction of bargaining STUNNED me!
‘Madam, you will drive the Car in South Mumbai right’? the Salesman asked.
‘Yup’ said my wife. ‘Actually may be like 5-6 kms a day’.
‘Very fine’ he said, while pushing some stale looking chocolates to me – ‘No need to buy ABS and Air Bags. We will save lots of money’.
I’m really not into what goes under the hood of cars, but I do know that ABS and Air Bags are Safety Features!!! Angrily, I growled, ‘Are you telling my wife to compromise on her safety just to do this sale fast’?
‘No Sir, nothing like that. Its just that only out-station drivers buy cars with Air Bags…in the city, no need’.
I freaked out. I mean I was sitting in Hyundai’s marquee showroom in the poshest part of Mumbai and here was this slimy Car Salesman behaving like one of the florists on the road just interested in one more sale!
After hearing how Volkwagen had also managed to hoodwink my Dad, I really wonder what the ethics and morals of these Car Companies are in India? Don’t they think its their business to educate first time buyers of cars in the world – Indians – what they SHOULD HAVE in the cars?
Unfortunately I think their philosophy is , – ‘Sir, just buy my Car… you can conveniently die later’…
And ironically, the largest deaths on the road occur in …. yup – India…
Zafar Sawant
Isn’t the time right for the government to make Airbags mandatory during new car sales the way it’s helmets and seat belts currently?
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
Absolutely right Zafar…rather than boast about the number of cars sold each month, we should mourn the number of deaths due to lack of safety features in the wheels of death we put out there
Zafar Sawant said:
Deepesh Krishnan
My two cents here, one single element which has saved largest lives is the humble seat belt for larger vehicles and helmet for two wheelers, rest are all complex safety devices, means there is always a likelihood of these things not working well.
Air bags work on complex formula and might never work unless the impact is xxx force and or a particular direction, like say head on… most accidents happen in other directions
ABS has never helped save lives ever – i read it some statistics when manufacturers were keen to introduce EBD, traction control etc, they only you keep on the road when you swerve hard in tricky or non tricky conditions (read human error).
Now that you have broached the point on safe driving, if i am not wrong single largest reason for accidents is human error, people have no idea about rules and only negative consequence they think of if they are caught by cop standing in one corner asking us to adhere to law. There is no concern for safety, passengers.
My wife was taught by driving school, they never taught us one rule on safety, passive driving, safe driving rather were hell bent on taking risks (saying others will brake, you turn or you also have as much road tax as other vehicles on road).
People are asked not to use hand brake when parking on stopping in signal since it results in greater wear and tear…
Last but not the least, i am taking from the recent accident in Mum-goa highway, where one 9 seater vehicle was walloped by an oncoming bus, the driver was 22 year old, how can we expect him to show maturity of taking care of peoples lives. Its common for call centre drivers to boast that reach point A to B in 40 min flat no matter what…who and how will we reign in these elements.
Most definitely we need to invest in technology in the road safety, have tougher laws for professional drivers that sets the tone and importantly education which we miss 100%
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
Good thinking…my point is..anything that enhances safety cannot be compromised by the Car manufacturers themselves!!
Do u know that in Delhi they sell fake set belts that people just place over their shoulder to make it seem that they are wearing a seat belt?? So actually drivers BUY AND PAY for accessories that compromise their safety!!!
Have you seen young kids sitting in their fathers lap behind the steering?? The idiotic father grins as if he is a stuntman or something…not realise that he is compromising his own Childs safety!!
Deepesh Krishnan said:
Aditya Singh
The salesman was right unto an extent. When you are driving in a high traffic area, your average speed will not be more than 30 -40 -60. Moreover, when you start applying the breaks, the speed starts reducing before the collision, so max speed at which accidents happen in city is around 30 – 40. Airbags won’t work at these speeds. Seatbelts are enough.
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
Aditya,
There is something called marine drive in Mumbai….speeds go to 100 on it:-))
Aditya Singh said:
Ajay Kumar Jain
Alok,
Not just seat belts, in Delhi you can get fake helmets too. Fake not in the sense of shape and size but in terms of quality. If you throw these helmets forcefully to ground it will break into pieces. I’ll say more than the salesman it’s our job to look for quality or standards. Jago Grahak Jago…
Satish K
Its not only the speed you are traveling but the force of impact (wheel speed sensors, accelerometer and Impact sensors work in tandem). You could be doing less than 20 mph but the car that hit you could be over 100.
I have heard of instances where airbags were deployed in a Skoda that was hit from behind while being driven at less 5 mph.
ALL Indian cars should be automatic transmission, with airbags/seat belts, ABS and with a super sharp/charged taser to jab in the neck if the car changes lane without indication.
🙂
Gaurang Bhatt
I agree with Taser part whole heartedly.
Manish Malik
What’s the motive of the salesman to sell a car with less safety features? Was it a point where the additional cost for these features would’ve turned the ‘yes’ of customer to a ‘no’ or ‘probably some other car then’?
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
yes…the moron didnt want me to say ‘no’
Sheetal Gandhi
This is shocking…But sadly very much possible in India 🙁
Manish Malik
Possible pretty much anywhere in the world 🙂 It’s more to do with the culture of the company and the personal values of the salesman than anything else.