Indian cars fail the crash test

Five of the most popular small cars have failed crash tests conducted by a UK based car safety watchdog, accordingly to a report on BBC online.

The test by global NCAP showed that if involved in a crash, serious injuries could result. Among the cars tested were India’s talismanic Tata Nano, the world’s cheapest car, as well as models made in India by ford, Volkswagen and Hyundai.

The cars were apparently striped of ssfety features to make them cheaper for Indian buyers, correspondents say according to the report. The five models accounted for 20 percent of all sales of the country last year. Estimates predict that 80% of the cars sold in India are in prices between 8,000$.

“It is worrying to see the levels of safety that are 20 years behind the five star standards now common in Europe and North America,” said by the head of NCAP Global, Max mosley, the former chief of international motorsport. Car manufacturers who have spoken out since the safety tests have insisted that the safely is of paramount importance and that they will be rewieving the NCAP’s test outcome.

Poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are putting the lives if the Indians at the risk. The customers have the right to know how safe their vehicles are and to expect the same level of safety as standard as customer in the other part of the world.

As a repercussion the Volkswagen have withdrawn its Polo model without airbags. Volkswagen also said the air bags, as well as anti lock brakes, would become a standard of their product from February 2014.