Automobile Manufacturers, Advertising and Traffic Safety in India

An analysis, based on a survey of the print advertisements and TV commercials for safety content, and the pricing policy for offering safety technology of six major automobile manufacturers, shows that manufacturers are not promoting safety issues or their safety technology in any significant manner. They are not offering airbags or anti-lock braking systems in most of the base models costing less than $12,000. It is the responsibility of the Government of India to announce strict crashworthiness standards for cars sold in India, since vehicle manufacturers generally do not provide safety features unless forced to do so.