Global Carmakers Compromise on Safety Features in India: Kamal Soi

He said, "All the automobile manufacturers whether they are from Europe, Japan or the US, their countries have reached a saturation point. So they have found India as a dumping ground. They are dumping those old cars to India and they are compromising on safety aspects." Soi cited the BMW 3 Series and now-discontinued Maruti Suzuki 800 as examples of cars with deficient safety performances.

He explained that though the BMW 3 series received an average rating for "side safety", but "then we further analysed similar road crashes happened and 12 BMW 3 series split into two." For the Maruti M800, Soi quoted data on the basis of FIRs in National Crime Records Bureau and claimed that 3 lakh lives were lost in accidents involving the car.

While Maruti Suzuki declined to comment, a BMW India spokesperson said the company was "unable to comment on speculations", but added that BMW's global safety systems are consistent across its line-up in India.

One of the most troubling aspect of road safety in India is the relevant provisions, or the lack of it, in the cars sold here. For instance, 5 made-in-India cars failed the Global NCAP crash test earlier this year. However, the new Road Safety Bill is looking to change that. The bill proposed stiffer penalties of up to Rs. 100 crore for faulty designs and absence of necessary safety features. A panel set up by the Centre to frame stringent traffic and road safety rules had suggested "stringent penalties to the extent of 100 crore for non-compliance of automobile regulations by automobile companies and power to order compulsory recall within stipulated time frame".

(With inputs from PTI)