According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one person dies on Indian roads every 5 minutes, and this figure is projected to rise to one every 3 minutes by 2020. Considering this, it doesn't come as a surprise that the government is finally putting together a mandate for cars to undergo a crash test before plying on Indian roads, along with the provision of airbags, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), child restraint and electronic stability control (ESC).
The government has been in talks with the auto industry about regulations imperative to the cause of reducing fatalities in road accidents, which will include the provision of the aforementioned safety features as standard in all cars. Though the auto industry has counter-argued this move, citing a rise in cost as the reason, the government doesn't seem to be in the mood to compromise. The government's stern stance only seems fair considering that the manufacturers offer these features crucial to safety when exporting cars to international markets.
Delving in to the details about the crash tests, vehicles will have to undergo frontal crash test at 56Km/h. India currently does not have any facilities for crash tests, but are expected to be setup in Pune and Manesar by December. Even though enhancing safety will cause prices to rise by a considerable amount, the government is contemplating a 2017 deadline for the enforcement of the discussed safety standards.
Also read: Top-Five Must Have Features in a Car | India's best selling cars fail Global NCAP safety test | Nissan - Global NCAP Feud Over Cars For Emerging Markets
Watch: India's first crash tests
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