good motoring
Deadly accessories
H. Kishie Singh

Some people buy entry-level cars and then buy some accessories to spruce them up to give them an up market look. Most of these gizmos are made by enterprising people with a view to sell to ill-informed new car owners. They have made a fast buck and put to risk the lives of hundreds of motorists.

The latest and most dangerous accessories being seen on the roads is a crash guard on cars like the Ertiga, Ritz and other mid-range cars. The owners are of the opinion that the crash guard will provide safety in case of a collision. The truth is exactly the opposite.

The following is a quote from the owners manual that Maruti gives out with its cars. The quote is on page 2 under "Modification warning."

"Your vehicle has monocoque body construction which provides for certain crumple zones in the body which absorbs larger part of impact energy in the event of a front collision and protects the occupants from impact. Do not use any fitments such as crash guards. These fitments will increase the risk to the occupants because of the shock directly getting transmitted to the occupants !"

It is clear that the owner has not read the owners manual which is why he is ignorant of safety factors concerning his life and his family. Which is why he has been hood-winked into buying this dangerous accessory.

There are a couple of other accessories in the market that are also extremely dangerous. One is a slip on cover for the steering wheel. It just slips on and makes the steering wheel much thicker. The driver thinks he will have a better grip on the steering wheel. Not so. One ; since the cover is only a slip on, it can slip, thereby denying you the grip necessary to hold the steering wheel firmly to control the car.

Two ; the manufacturer realises the fact that the steering wheel is what allows you to steer and control the car. It is ergonomically designed with a diameter which could be easily griped firmly by a driver's hand. Making the grip thick defeats the manufacturer's design and purpose.

Another accessory available in the market is a butterfly-shaped pillow which is hung on the front seat back rest to provide neck support. Please note, the manufacturer has given you a head rest to prevent your head from being thrown back in case of a rear-end collision, the neck support will act as the fulcrum and will make sure the head is thrown back and could snap the spine like a tooth pick.

All these gizmos, they cannot be called "after sales fitments," are made by people to sell junk, dangerous junk, for commercial purposes. They have no practical use, on the contrary they are life threatening. Happy Motoring!

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