Ground transport is considered to be the least safe mode of transportation. Indian Auto Company is working toward improving safety of all road users, as their focus lies on adherence to road safety, obeying traffic rules and practising defensive driving, says Anubrata Choudhury, Senior Marketing Manager, Indian Auto Company.

 

What is the importance of car safety and ergonomics?

One person dies every four minutes on Indian roads due to road accidents, hence safety of a car should be as important as it is in the case of an aircraft. Ground transportation is considered to be the least safe mode of transportation. A safe vehicle ensures not only the safety of its occupants but also the other road users on the road. Features such as ABS, air bags, 3 point retractable seat belt are some of the basic requirements to make a vehicle safe for driving and advanced technologies such as telematics, in-dash cameras, ADAS systems, driver state monitoring system, etc., makes it further reliable and safe. Ergonomics plays an equally important part as the designing of the interiors, the seats and the overall dashboard, crumple zone and how user friendly it is for the driver and its occupants has a huge impact on driving habits.

 

Tell us about the various solutions that you offer.

Our IoT solutions range from basic GPS tracking devices, advanced tracking devices like the AIS 140, to cutting edge technology devices like digital video recorders (In Dash Cameras) with tracking, driver state monitors (DSM) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) like collision warning systems, blind spot monitoring systems etc. These devices ensure that the right driving behaviour is followed and evidence is available in the form of video recording in case of any untoward incident. The driver can also be counselled on any unsafe practices, as the same is available in the form of data and evidence to show him the errors that he may have made during his driving.

 

Out of these, which are the most used in a vehicle's ergonomics and safety, and how?

Currently one of our most common safety devices used in Indian vehicles is the GPS Vehicle Tracking devices which not only track vehicles real time but the devices also capture parameters like rapid acceleration, rapid decceleration, harsh cornering, over speeding, continuous driving and night driving which helps in understanding the driving pattern of a driver over a period of time. If the same remains consistent, then, corrective measures based on scientific analysis can be taken. 

 

How are you helping the car manufacturers achieve the quality standards for car safety?

Our organisation can help improve safety of all road users as our focus is one of the most important aspects that we feel is not being addressed properly so far, which is adherence to road safety, obeying traffic rules and practising defensive driving. Our ADAS, DSM systems, AIS-140 tracking system, even our basic Vehicle Tracking Systems offer useful data for monitoring things such as over speeding, harsh cornering etc.

 

How can your vehicle tracking devices help improve safety?

Our AIS-140 compliant Vehicle Tracking Device can monitor not only the location of a vehicle but also driver behaviour such as over speeding, harsh acceleration, braking, cornering, night driving and other important parameters. This in turn ensures correct driving practice, thereby not only enhancing safety but also reducing wear and tear of the vehicle and improving fuel efficiency. Moreover, this device will improve passenger safety, especially for women and children traveling in various public transport vehicles such as buses and aggregator cabs.

 

Do you see a rise in awareness for car safety due to the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme (BNVSAP)?

Yes, once the new programme is implemented, all car manufacturers will have to provide safety features like airbags, ABS and 3 point retractable seatbelts as standard fitment. This move will help generate awareness for road safety and soon consumers will start demanding these features in their cars. We strongly believe that safety features should be available in all cars and not confined only to high-end luxury vehicles. We have a host of systems which can be retrofitted in nearly all models in India.