The “death chariots” airbag does not open? / The role of car manufacturers in Behbahan road accident
According to Tejarat News, on Monday morning, January 11, the media reported a tragic incident in Khuzestan. A chain of 59 cars near Behbahan killed five people and sent 41 to hospital.
That day was the main cause of the Behbahan road accident Carelessness of drivers announced; The same as always human mistake.
Officials blamed fog and high speed on the drivers.
But now, two days later, the head of the country’s traffic police has pointed to another fact; This issue is not the cause of the Behbahan road accident, but it probably played a role in the high number of fatalities and injuries.
The “Death Chariots” airbag did not open!
Criticizing the quality of domestic cars, Kamal Hadianfar said that no car airbag was opened in the accident.
He called the production vehicles “death chariots” and complained that the standards were not controlled and that the Ministry of Silence did not closely monitor the issue.
Rahoor police chief also stressed that “car manufacturers should be brought to justice in this incident.” “It is true to say that the drivers were not careful in the Behbahan accident, but what was the role of the relevant organizations?”
In the meantime, what is the responsibility of car manufacturers in the Behbahan road accident?
Concerns about the quality of cars
Amir Hossein Kakaei, an automotive industry expert, believes that a thorough investigation should be carried out into the Behbahan road accident; Because the defect of a sensitive part such as an airbag can be a national catastrophe; It should also be noted why the brakes of about 60 cars did not work properly.
“In addition to issues such as non-standard roads and human error, there are concerns about the quality of the vehicles,” he told Trade News.
Kakai points to the existence of Iranian and foreign passenger cars and diesel cars in this chain accident and adds: “Different institutions must respond to the low quality of safety parts of this number of different cars.”
Bankruptcy of a company for non-standard airbags
“People pay a lot to have their car airbaged for a moment that may never happen, but it doesn’t work at the exact moment it’s supposed to,” he says. Such a thing needs to be investigated.
Kakai cites an international example to illustrate the importance of the issue; Takata, which produced airbags for Toyota and a number of other major automakers, was forced to pay heavy damages to automakers after several accidents and seven deaths, and then filed for bankruptcy.
It could be a “national catastrophe.”
The car industry expert believes that Rahoor police will not announce such a matter without conducting an expertise, but its final approval needs to be reviewed by national committees.
“This could be a national catastrophe,” he said. It should be noted whether this is a common problem in domestic cars.
Concern about the quality of parts and after-sales service
Kakai considers the next issue of concern to be the quality of spare parts and after-sales service and adds: The useful life of a part like Airberg expires after a few years, but in Iran, there is no center for technical inspection of such part.
According to the automotive industry expert, even if the necessary checks are made, no replacement part is available to the public.
The “worrying” dilemma of used cars
He goes on to point out the “worrying” problem of used cars and says: “Recently, various officials have announced the number of used cars as three million and estimated that their number will reach eight million by 1404.”
Kakai adds: “These cars are not only defective in terms of parts such as airbags, but even in brakes.”
The need for accountability of car manufacturers, standards and the Ministry of Silence
According to this automotive industry expert, if the news about the airbags is accurate, the automakers and parts manufacturers, the National Standards Organization and the Ministry of Silence should be held accountable.
He points to the trend of internalization of various parts in recent years and adds: “Despite the importance of this issue, the production of high-end products such as airbags requires careful technical studies.”
According to this automotive industry expert, such high-tech parts require a strict quality assurance system, both in terms of raw materials and in the production process.
High cost of quality tests
He emphasizes: there should be no compliments about the quality of car parts, and sometimes there are none. However, the cost of airbag testing is very high and the frequency of tests performed on the production line may be low.
Kakai adds: “I do not claim that anything is being done in this regard, but the occurrence of the Behbahan incident is a warning to us.”
He emphasizes: It should be clear what plans automakers have to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Possibility of prosecuting car manufacturers
Kakai believes that if the negligence of car companies in the Behbahan road accident is proven, there is a possibility of prosecuting them.
He adds: the car warranty period may have passed, in which case the carmaker is no longer responsible; Otherwise, damages can be claimed from these companies.
According to the automotive industry expert, the legal process in Iran is lengthy, and institutional support such as the Rahvar police can help potential plaintiffs.
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