Bosch pushes for ABS and ESP standardization in passenger cars in India

While most Indian audiences still have the mentality of how safety systems like ABS are not really required and how instead they would rather pay a little extra for features like a better stereo setup or leather interiors, it comes as no surprise as to why fatalities stemming from read accidents are on the way up. In fact, while the road accident fatality rate is steadily reducing across countries worldwide not only in the west but also countries like China, our growing rate of fatalities is certainly a cause of concern.

We at ZigWheels strongly believe in the fact that ABS and other safety systems like ESP should be offered as standard equipment in all cars, especially at the cheaper end of the Indian car buying segments like the Maruti Alto. And gladly, we are not alone. OEM and electronic giant Bosch is also pushing strongly for a change in government regulation that would make these safety systems mandatory for all new cars in India. Co-incidentally, ABS and ESP are already a mandate for all cars made in most parts of Europe and North America, the Indian government should take the initiative along similar lines too. In fact, with prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking so strongly with regards to road safety on his ‘Mann ki Baat’ weekly broadcast, now is the best time for the government to bring along such much needed change.

Bosch India has also conducted a specific research on how ESP in India could help reduce accidents and the preliminary results are quite startling. Bosch claims that up to 70 percent of accidents that involve a vehicle skidding could be eliminated with ESP saving upwards of 10000 lives in India every year.

Elaborating on the same, Klaus Maeder, Executive Vice President, Chassis Systems Control, Robert Bosch GmbH said, "With sixteen people dying every hour in road accidents India is the single largest contributor to road deaths across the world. Last year, the country accounted for nearly three percent more fatalities than 2013 of which around a-third of the victims were in the age-bracket of 15-25 years. Such a high rate of causality occurring due to road accidents draws attention to the need for advanced safety and driver assistance systems in India."

As of today, nearly 40 percent of all new cars made in India come with ABS fitted whereas only about 4-5 percent of all new cars come with ESP. If automotive manufacturers are serious about road safety, this figure needs to go up drastically in the next few years. Co-incidentally, ABS has already been made compulsory in commercial vehicles from September 1, 2015 with an announcement for ABS in two wheelers over a certain cubic capacity expected any day now.