A Holistic Approach to Vehicular Safety

Author: Mr. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility

In today’s global scenario, road accidents are a major cause of fatalities, claiming around 1.19 million lives annually¹ worldwide, with India alone accounting for 13%² of this staggering figure. It’s undeniable: vehicular safety holds paramount importance. Acknowledging this, the Government of India has underscored the 4Es of road safety: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Care. The journey towards safer roads demands not only regulatory updates but proactive efforts from OEMs and the wider automotive ecosystem. The industry and government must make collaborative efforts to continuously enhance vehicle safety through sustained investment in accident research and the development of new safety technologies and designs.

Tata Motors, for instance, has pioneered this pursuit by investing in advance state-of-the-art digital and physical product development processes, guided by road safety experts. Engineering a safe vehicle is intricate and requires seamless collaboration among a wide set of stakeholders across product development process.

Elevating Safety Through Research

Vehicles face countless safety challenges on the road, from various collisions to stability issues. The interplay of vehicle mass, human anatomy, and unpredictable road conditions necessitate a balanced approach to product design, ensuring maximum protection during extraordinary events. Over-engineering for safety could render vehicles prohibitively expensive, defeating the purpose of making safety accessible to all. Therefore, analysing accident data meticulously to inform product design allows automakers to offer safe yet affordable options across all vehicle segments.

Inter-relations Of Safety Tech

Vehicle safety extends beyond the mere inclusion of airbags; it encompasses the vehicle's design, driving environment, and driver behaviour, addressing pre-crash, crash, and post-crash stages. Safety features are categorised into passive and active systems. Simply put, active vehicle safety features are designed to prevent a car accident, whereas passive vehicle safety features serve to offer protection when an accident cannot be avoided. For example,

Passive safety features involve devices such as seat belts, airbags, head restraints, and ISOFIX mounts, activated during a collision.
Active safety includes features such as brake assists, tire pressure monitors, and parking sensors, which prevent accidents.

A Case For ADAS

Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) technology is becoming increasingly relevant within the Indian automotive market, as a smart technology that actively enhances vehicular safety by preventing or reducing the impact of potential accidents.

ADAS comprises of several sub-systems that alert the driver of a variety of potential threats on the road, with systems for autonomous emergency braking, forward collision indicators, lane departure warnings, blind spot detection, etc. Together, they elevate the vehicle’s safety by encouraging drivers to be more alert on the road, and in some instances, even taking some automated steps that can minimise damage. If utilised mindfully, they can significantly improve driver behaviour, make safe driving a conscious experience, and ultimately, make Indian roads much safer.

Significance Of Safety Ratings

Automakers rely on independent safety protocols to evaluate their vehicles, resulting in performance star ratings after extensive digital and physical testing. Ratings from organisations like the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) indicate the likelihood of injury in an accident. A vehicle with a 5-star rating is deemed significantly safer, with a lower risk of life-threatening injuries, compared to a 1-star rated vehicle. The GNCAP 2022 protocols have notably improved vehicle safety by introducing more stringent crash tests and evaluation criteria. These enhanced protocols have pushed manufacturers to upgrade safety features, such as improved structural integrity and the inclusion of more advanced safety technologies. The protocols also emphasise pedestrian safety, encouraging the development of exterior vehicle designs that minimise injury to pedestrians in the event of a collision.

Bharat-NCAP is a significant step forward in India towards having our own Safety regime. It provides customers with a credible, objective score to evaluate the safety aspects of various vehicles. Informed customers taking optimal decisions will further foster the rising preference for safer vehicles in the country.

Evolution in safety standards has led to the production of vehicles better equipped to protect occupants and pedestrians, thereby elevating the overall safety of cars on the road. To achieve these high safety standards, vehicles undergo rigorous testing, including the use of biofidelic dummies and extensive component testing. The development process demands a deep understanding of safety protocols and the ability to address challenges such as passenger evacuation post-accident. These challenges inspire safety professionals and engineers to strive for excellence, ensuring that vehicles meet the highest safety standards.

Safety Features Among Top Consideration set

In conclusion, creating a safe vehicle is an ongoing scientific endeavor, driven by extensive research and the collective efforts of safety experts, OEMs, government bodies and most importantly, evolved consumers, who have now started demanding safety features in their cars.

As roads and vehicles evolve, so should the commitment to enhancing vehicle safety, with the ultimate goal of securing a safer future for all road users. It is equally important that efforts are made towards educating masses on the importance of safety, safe driving techniques and enforcing a strong safety guidelines on roads.

However, as the famous saying goes ‘The brake on the mind is the best brake’, highlighting the importance of considering safety before any journey, complementing the sophisticated algorithms and devices in our vehicles that tirelessly work to keep us safe.