 
As an initiative to raise awareness on road safety, highlight the benefits of safety technologies in cars and reduce vehicular accident fatalities, the second Nissan Safety Driving Forum (NSDF) was held at Inorbit Mall, Malad, Mumbai. The first event was conducted in Delhi early this month with the next being  held at Chennai.
Mr. Takayuki Ishida, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd., said “The growing number of cars on Indian roads has also resulted in increased number of accidents. Nissan as an automobile manufacturer understands it social responsibility and strongly believes that “Safety begins with ME”. The Nissan Safety Driving Forum has been formed to educate drivers. co-passengers as well as other road users on safety practices with a focus on reducing road accidents”.
The program enabled participants to learn about safety through panel displays and simulator devices and at the same time emphasize the importance of seat belts and airbags.
To start with, we were made to experience the ‘Low Speed Crash Simulator’ designed to imitate the shock and air bag inflation during an accident. Though the simulation was only at a speed of 5 kph, but it demonstrated the importance of having a fastened seatbelt during a mishap. An airbag is a supposedly supplementary safety measure and only effective with a buckled seat belt. On the funny part, the speed at which the airbag shot out of the steering wheel was scary 😉
Moving on to the next stage, Bosch had installed a sweet looking car that reminded us of amusement parks. The cute little unit was an ABS/EBD simulator that acquainted us with a virtual but surreal experience of panic situations involving hard braking with and without ABS/EBD. It was a fun filled joy ride so much so that we were not wanting to come out.
And finally the most exciting part of the event- the roll over simulator. The objective here was to position yourself in situation of a car toppling or rolling over during an accident. Instinctively people grab hold of the steering during panicky circumstances (even we did) which was rather not advisable. It was recommended that ‘Assist handles/ grab handles’ (above the door) be used in such cases and if needed pushing both your hands against the roof to ensure you stay anchored when the rotational forces are trying to throw you off position. The most surprising part was the way the seat belts kept us locked in position. We were apprehensive that the latches might come off with our weights. Thanks George Cayley was such a fabulous and life saving invention.
On the concluding part, it was indeed an appreciative campaign undertaken by Nissan India backed by a noble cause. We hope other manufacturers follow suit and conduct similar workshops throughout the country. More than a lac people in India lose their lives every year in road accidents and though complete elimination is not possible, but a lot more precious lives can definitely be saved.
The whole event was a learning experience and indeed a day well spent.