Cyrus Mistry Car Crash: Separating fact from speculation

Post-crash images seem to suggest the car showed remarkable structural integrity, with A pillars perfectly intact, meaning the crumple zone took the brunt of the crash (File Image)

The death of former Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry has once again brought to light the dangers posed by Indian roads. Mistry was seated in the back (according to reports) of a first-gen Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV, travelling on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. The German car hit a divider at a relatively high speed, leading to the fatalities of the passengers in the rear, while the driver and co-passenger sustained injuries.

Images of the vehicle post-incident appear to show a dislodged front bumper, presumably from the impact. But the rest, at this point, is purely conjectural, including speculation regarding the deployment of the side rear airbag. Until there are proper investigative reports, it is unwise to speculate on just what caused the accident, and furthermore, the unfortunate deaths of the occupants in the rear. All that we know is that the front occupants survived while the ones at the back didn’t. What can be looked at is probable causes that could have led to such a tragic result.

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Rear seat belts are mandatory but rarely used

A 2019 survey by the SaveLife foundation found that out of 6,306 participants, only 7 percent claimed to have used seat belts at the rear. Only 27.7 percent seemed to know that the use of rear seat belts is mandatory.

While carmakers are required by law to install seat-belt reminders in cars, at present that only applies to the driver’s seat. As a result, most people don’t bother belting-up at the rear.

The dangers of not wearing a seat belt at the rear

Despite the rear-seat belt rule having been in effect for decades, one cannot emphasise the importance of belting up, both at the front and at the back, enough.

A common misconception prevalent not only in India, but in the United States as well, is that rear-seat passengers are inherently more secure than those up front and therefore do not need restraints. This causes many to put their children at the back. A report by IIHS, a US-based safety-focused non-profit, showed that unbuckled rear-seat passengers are eight times more likely to be killed in a car accident than belted-up rear-seat passengers, often with airbags deployed.

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In fact, despite a three-point seat-belt harness being mandated by law, even for the rear middle-seat passenger, several if not most cabs in India, don’t have properly functional rear seat-belt buckles. Often the vestige itself is tucked away under the seat covers. As a passenger, it is your right to demand functional seatbelts.

The car works

Despite several reports claiming the contrary, the side airbags on the GLC were actually effectively deployed. The GLC comes with seven airbags as standard (with only side rear curtains at the back, while the front gets driver, passenger, and side and driver knee) and has a five star NHTSA and EuroNCAP rating.

In fact, all post-crash images seem to suggest the car showed remarkable structural integrity, with A pillars perfectly intact, meaning the crumple zone took the brunt of the crash, as it was supposed to. However, as statistics have proven multiple times, airbags work best with primary restraint systems like a seat belt. With fewer airbags at the rear, as is often the case, the need for belting up at the back is arguably even greater.

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The impact against an airbag, while unbuckled, can often increase risk of injury, and, in certain high-speed situations, even death. If your body, at the moment of impact, is hurled at an airbag or even a feathery pillow at triple-digit speeds, the effects are likely to be less than desirable.

Airbags and seatbelts: Are the two connected?

While it’s unclear whether the rear occupants were wearing their seatbelts, the two systems aren’t electronically connected. Airbags, both front and rear, are deployed on the basis of multiple sensors and are triggered primarily via a multitude of sensors (including the impact, pressure sensor, brake pressure sensor and more) assessing the severity of impact. Bottom line: airbags deploy even if the seatbelt isn’t connected. In some instances, especially for passengers in the front, seat belts are essential for the effective deployment of airbags. The majority of cases see airbags deployed upon impact, and work best when used with a seatbelt.

Airbags are accompanied by the letters SRS, because they are ultimately supplementary restraint systems and cannot singularly help prevent injury and fatality.