Congrats India for Amazing New Car design by Nitin Gadkari

 New Car Design by
 Nitin Gadkari and approved by "Dholki Journalist" Vishnu Som.

Although I will try to write this piece in good humour,  but I'm not sure should I laugh or cry. I shouldn't have tuned into NDTV tonight, but my misfortune is that I did.

Vishnu Som was talking about Road Safety not knowing a bit about what "Road Safety" is, but Interestingly a senior BJP leader was giving interview to NDTV (or is it Adani-NDTV now).

 Before I start describing the humourous episode, Let's get the definitions straight:

1. Road safety is a concept that deals with Safety of Vehicles ( not only Mercedes) and Pedestrians and Prevention of accidental incidents involving Vehicles and /or Pedestrians. Seatbelts and Airbags are a different concept.

But Vishnu and NDTV jumps to a new term like Car Safety, well it's not car safety either. 

2. Car Safety is a concept that deals with prevention of theft, fire and/or structural integrity violation of a car.

Correct Term is ...

DRUM ROLLS PLEASE 👏👏

PASSENGER SAFETY and Driver Safety. 

Nevertheless Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari came and unveiled his special Car Design. 

In reaction to Cyrus Mistry's death,  Nitin Gadkari unveiled new law that Not only make Rear seats' seatbelts mandatory and cars should hoot a Siren screaming "Seatbelts are not fastened", so that traffic cop can make a note and fine you.

This made "Double Dholki" Vishnu  Som very happy and he urged the Minister to take such steps very fast. 

Actually,  Idiots rule most media and political space. Now if you are System Architect or Electronic Engineer working in Automobile industry, this would make your good night sleep vanish and replace with nightmares.

While detecting seatbelts are fastened electronically is pretty easy but how would they ensure that the seatbelt is wrapped around the passenger . 

Two technical problems in this,

1. Determining that there is a passenger on that seat so that seatbelt monitoring System would activate. 

Pressure gauging system under the seat would be cumbersome and would not detect inanimate objects and human beings.

Imagine Gadkari's car refusing to start because Car's system would consider him too heavy for passenger seat and flash an alarm "Use a truck for this heavy box of samosa".

How about Camera? huge privacy issues there, how many Indians would like Uber and Ola cars to take their videos in the back seat.

2. Second point is what we discussed earlier,  what happens if the seatbelt  is buckled but the passenger is seating without fastening it. 

What happens to rear seat passengers in Taxis and Ubers? Will the driver sanitize the seat-belt after the passenger gets down. 

What happens to Uber pool ? Specially single female passenger ? Will rear seat seat belt be beneficial to their safety or a threat? 

BELIEVE ME, Trust me, all these questions came to my mind within few seconds of Gadkari's statement. 

If Vishnu Som ever reads this piece , he would probably search "Artificial intelligence Tablets" in Amazon, because like most Indian journalists he lacks the. "Natural Variety".

How to stop Future Accidents like Cyrus Mistry's 

1. Don't over-speed, in wet and pothole ridden roads, drive well below speed limit. it's better to be late like time-wise than salutation-wise.

2. For Heaven's sake, stop hitting the road divider and bridge railings and other obstacles on the side.

These alone will reduce much more  accidents That Gadkari-Vishnu Seat-belt Siren system. 

Passenger Safety: Do Indian Media really care?

A huge number of Indians travel and indeed daily commute using Trains, Buses, Metro Rail,  Auto-rickshaw also. 

But Seatbelts are mandatory in flights and Cars, What about Buses? Huh .. Nitin Gadkari and Crash Test Dummy Vishnu Som? 

If seatbelts are one panacea to prevent all deaths from accidents,  why don't you install them in Buses and Trains first? After all, a passenger is a passenger,  no matter what transport he or she chooses.