The automobile is, without a doubt, an integral part of mobility in the world today. According to various estimates, over 70 percent of all travel across the world is done by car, and their numbers are increasing with each passing year. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), passenger-vehicle sales in India breached 33 lakh cars in the period between January-December 2018. But, on the flip side, the increase in the number of road accidents, especially in India, are extremely worrying.
In 2017, 1.47 lakh people died in road deaths. Regardless of how safe a driver you are, people's persistent disinclination to follow rules; along with poor roads, road design and engineering either snuffs out or jolts a lot of lives.
Late last year, the Ministry of Road Transport signed off on a timeline that will bring in new rules. According to these new rules, cars produced after the July 1, 2019, will have to be equipped with ABS, reverse-parking sensors and dual airbags, among others, as standard equipment. As importantly, the government is also looking to make Electronic Stability Control and Autonomous Braking mandatory by 2023.
Several carmakers in India, including Maruti Suzuki – which has a 53 percent share of the domestic passenger car market – have made several rapid strides in this direction, and incorporate contemporary active and passive safety features in their cars. Maruti Suzuki’s Heartect platform, for instance, delivers improved collision safety and rigidity. Cars made on this platform – which include the new Wagon R, Ignis, Swift, Baleno, Dzire, Ciaz and Ertiga – are made using ultra-high-tensile steel and, according to Maruti, a smooth, continuous frame that uniformly disperses impact energy. Here, we take a look at some passive and active safety features that you should keep in mind if you are in the market for a car.
PASSIVE SAFETY FEATURES
These features include crumple zones that absorb and distribute energy in the event of a crash. These zones or areas across the car deform in a collision and prevent the force from impacting the occupants of the car. Other features are seat belts, airbags and headrests – each of which are responsible for shielding the driver and passengers from injuries after a crash.
ACTIVE SAFETY FEATURES
ABS: Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) come into play by preventing wheels from locking up on account of heavy braking. This prevents the car from going into a slide in these situations.
ESC: Electronic Stability Control (ESC) comes into the picture when the driver is about to lose control of the car as a result of either oversteer or understeer. ESC modulates engine power and utilises brakes to help drivers get back in control of their car.
Traction control: Traction control systems are most useful on slippery surfaces. Traction Control is designed to maintain stability in the event of a slide. Wheel speed sensors, which are a part of traction control system, identify which wheel or wheels have lost traction, and reduce power to the wheel or wheels.
EBD: Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) distributes braking force between the front and the rear axle to prevent premature rear-wheel lock-up.
Autonomous Emergency Braking: AEB uses radar and camera technology to judge the vehicle’s position with respect to its surroundings and can automatically apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision.
from Autocar India http://bit.ly/2L3AbzP
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