[Kishen.padiyar]

Recently, an advert of one of the leading entry level mass market cars had a line which goes like "ABS hai, Airbags hai; kuch nahi hoga" (The car has ABS and Airbags, nothing will happen) which is very innovative way of conveying that all variants now come with safety kit.

While the real world is far from adverts, I keep spotting many cars (private only, taxis and self drive cars kept out of the equation) that are driven either pretty rashly be it within city limits or on the highways/expressways.

This brings us to the question - despite having good understanding of the hazards of road, do we get complacent and push the limits just because we have a 'safer' car?

[arindambasu13]

I don't imagine that driving safely or rashly has anything to even remotely do with safety kit on offer on the car in question. It has to do with driving habits and mannerisms of the driver. Even if I were able to afford a high end car with the entire gamut of safety features, it would not egg me on to drive rashly. Yes, I would probably be able to maintain higher highway speeds than what I do on my current car, but that has only to do with the mechanical competence of the car and not the safety kit on offer.

Some of the rashest drivers on the roads are the ones driving barebones cabs which have nothing but brakes and seatbelts as safety features in them.

[2000rpm]

Not rashly, but I do cross 100 with cars with ABS, Disc Brakes and Airbags. If its a non-airbags car with poor brakes (read old Swift) I used to rarely go above 100, unless I get a open highway road with atleast 3 lanes on both sides (like Hubli Bangalore).

It just gives me more confidence that, in case of an emergency, my car can stop or reduce speed to minimize damage to myself and others.

The most nightmarish car I have ever driven is the Old 800 and Zen (Horrible horrible brakes).

[swissknife]

Nothing at the cost of safety. Even if my car is capable of faster speeds with a lot of safety elements built in, I wouldn't drive faster just because I can. There are other road users and elements to take into consideration as well. A faster car would help in getting to my preferred speed quicker rather than traveling faster. Rather than faster acceleration, it's the faster braking that may determine the preferred speed. I would any day prefer to drive at 80-100 for longer periods rather than, say, 120+ and braking to 20-30 and accelerate again.

[Shreyans_Jain]

More than things like ABS or airbags, it takes sharp brakes, wide tires, tight handling and good visibility to give me the confidence to go that little extra, once in a while.

[mukeshgoel]

I don't think a safe car gives me an itch to go faster. I drive safe.

May be OT, but whenever I used to drive a Diesel Swift (without ABS, Airbags but with 185 tyres) I had an itch to drive faster (but safe) but when I drive a Honda City or Grand i10 (both petrol with ABS, Airbags) I drive more peacefully and slower.

I don't know if it is the sound of diesel engine that makes me a bit aggressive or quietness of petrol engines that makes me calm but I have observed it multiple times.

[ashis89]

I don't drive fast, irrespective of the car, as the road conditions are unpredictable. I would prefer to avoid an accident rather than having a sense of safety while in an accident situation.

On the other hand, I love to drive quick(accelerate) and then maintain steady speeds. This depends on two factors which give me confidence - road conditions and the car's capabilities (brakes, steering, suspension, etc).

[DCEite]

I have a TATA Tigor and it has ABS + Dual front Airbags.
The car is built like a tank and there is a great sense of safety once inside the car.

However i do take care to drive within limits and safely. Because safety on roads doesn't only depend on your own driving and how safe your car is, but it also depends on road conditions and behavior of other vehicles or pedestrians.

[StarrySky]

For me, it's a bit yes and no.

Generally, I tend to follow the speed limits and do not drive rashly. In that sense, the answer is No.

However, a safe car with electronic gadgets do give me the itch to drive faster in certain scenarios. For eg:, there is a smooth S curve near my home. It's the exit from a main road, so it's one-way, one-lane and there are no houses/establishments or parked cars. I always tend to drive faster than the speed limit in this area. Many times, on the exit curve from the "S", I can feel the electronics applying the brakes to the inner wheels. I wouldn't dare to do this in a car which lacks comparable electronics.

In the same way, sometimes I feel I am a little less attentive behind the wheel in slow traffic conditions because I know the emergency braking system will save me if the car in front of me brakes suddenly.

So, there are examples when the answer is "Yes".

[Sebring]

Irrespective of the car I drive I trust only myself and my instincts. A recurring nightmare that I have involves the wheel coming off when I'm doing 220 MPH, and then I wake up with a shudder. So be it passive/active safety systems, trust thyself. Also, external factors like stray cows, dogs darting across the road, auto-rickshaw guy doing a sudden U turn, wanton cyclists, trucks coming at you on the wrong side etc. can spoil any planning. LOL

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Not rashly, but I do cross 100 with cars with ABS, Disc Brakes and Airbags. If its a non-airbags car with poor brakes (read old Swift) I used to rarely go above 100, unless I get a open highway road with atleast 3 lanes on both sides (like Hubli Bangalore).

Let me rephrase, I think a safer car doesnt itch me to go faster, a unsafe car makes me go slower!

[aman-bh]

Never, my car might be safe but god forbid, in an event of a crash, I'm endangering lives of other motorists and pedestrians on the road, who might not have such safe safety gear.

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by Kishen.padiyar

Recently, an advert of one of the leading entry level mass market cars had a line which goes like "ABS hai, Airbags hai; kuch nahi hoga" (The car has ABS and Airbags, nothing will happen) which is very innovative way of conveying that all variants now come with safety kit.

This is wrong at so many levels. This is what has led to the illusion today that if a car has thick sheet metal and/or a good safety rating, the passengers become invincible to death. I see this attitude across the internet, on this very forum and on social media.

However, the reality is that the safest of cars is also tested at controlled speeds and in a controlled environment, simulating at best about 30% of real world conditions, in my opinion. The crash during a crash test is 'perfect' and doesn't really emulate any of the freak scenarios that can potentially happen in real world accidents.

So, irrespective of the safety rating, driving based on the merit of the road, weather, visibility and other conditions, along with keeping in mind the attributes and limitations of the particular car, is the only way forward.

[sachinayak]

I think the converse is true. Not having a safe car would perhaps nudge me to drive a little slower than my usual (80kmph speed).

Now a days, my cruising speed is no longer determined by how fast the engine is but rather by how fast can I brake in an emergency.

Signs of aging perhaps.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

However, the reality is that the safest of cars is also tested at controlled speeds and in a controlled environment, simulating at best about 30% of real world conditions, in my opinion. The crash during a crash test is 'perfect' and doesn't really emulate any of the freak scenarios that can potentially happen in real world accidents.

Not everyone tries to game the system to produce high scores. Some try to game the system and still fail like Renault . There are some companies that actually care about building their cars as safe as it is humanly possible like Volvo and Mercedes. If you just do some search on the amount of research they do on safety, you'll never make that statement again.

So, irrespective of the safety rating, driving based on the merit of the road, weather, visibility and other conditions, along with keeping in mind the attributes and limitations of the particular car, is the only way forward.

This is true nonetheless. Safety starts with safe driving.