I usually park my car in such a way that I have to back the car into the spot. Every time I do so, I worry that someone from my family will be behind the car and I may hit them by mistake. This fear has grown ever since my son started walking a couple of months ago.

I saw this on the net: Miracle Baby Pinned Under SUV Survives Unharmed. I proceed to freak out even more.  The story referenced a website called: http://kidsandcars.org/ which seems to be a site collecting and maintaining statistics of children injured/killed in accidents involving automobiles. Their statistics reveal that of all fatalities involving children from 2002 – 2007 the top 3 reasons were:

1. 44% were due to “back overs” (backing up over a child)
2. 17% was due to “front overs” (opposite of back over)
3. 16% due to Hyperthermia.

Having freaked myself out enough – I started to worry that since this is not tracked well in the US which usually has statistics of everything, the statistics in India would be very different. I do not even want to think of it since it will be more gruesome than the US statistics. Rather than think about that I thought maybe I should put together some tips for parents / drivers.

Tips for vehicle drivers with little children around:

1. Check for small children hiding/playing immediately in front of , behind or under the car before starting. Always!
2. Secure children inside the car in child seats or have adults who are secured with a seat-belt hold the child (India specific – since the usage of car seats is minimal).  Child car seats are best kept in the rear seat away from airbags if present in the car. When held by an adult make sure their heads are away from window panes since bumps on the roads could cause their heads to hit the glass. If asleep they should either be held by an adult -not left on the seat alone.
3. Children should never be allowed to stand inside(in the middle of the seats etc.) a moving vehicle since sudden stops could cause them to fall.
4. Children should not be allowed to sit/lie down in the luggage area of hatchbacks or SUVs where there are no proper seats.
5. Never  leave children in vehicles alone. Parental supervision is a must. Doesn’t matter if it is hot or cold or whatever in between.  (Recently a car was  stolen from near the Chennai airport with 2 children in it – thief lead police on a chase until he was finally stopped.)
6. Enable the power window locks and child locks on the doors to ensure that children cannot open the doors/windows unless under adult supervision. If the windows are to be kept open (no A/c or non-working a/c) make sure the children’s hands and feet are always in the car and never outside.
7. Keep enough toys/food/water in the car and always have an adult to keep them entertained and busy to prevent them from crying/distracting the driver thereby causing an accident.
8. Check for little hands and feet when opening/closing doors/windows/trunks/bonnets/tailgates etc. Applies when sliding/folding seats/gloveboxes/cigarette  lighters as well.
9. Do notallow children who are not old enough to drive a vehicle.
10. Drive carefully, within speed limits, follow all rules, be courteous to other motorists and set a good example to the young impressionable minds in the car.

Request: Dear readers – have I missed any key tips ?  Please doadd more tips through the comments – I need your help to  build this list up.  Please do share these tips with parents of small children who may find it useful as well.

You need to/want to buy your first car for one of the following top 10 reasons:

1. You are beginning your work life and there is pressure from family to avoid buying/riding a two wheeler
2. You were taking public transport but for some health reasons cannot continue using it or the routes have changed
3. Your Company has cut back on pick-up/drop
4. Your home/workplace has changed and it is too far for a two wheeler and public transport is not feasible
5. You are getting married
6. You are expecting a baby
7. It  has become affordable for you
8. You will be Getting/Got a promotion
9. You are now getting a vehicle purchase/lease/maintenance allowance with tax benefits
10. You have aged/ailing parents/in-laws who will be staying with you and cannot take them around by other means of transport

You have your reasons for purchasing a vehicle. What should you buy is determined mainly by your finances and by your requirements. If you are not clear on your requirements this post will help you clarify your requirements. This post will not pick the vehicle for you as that is something you will have to do based on your specific situation.

If you have little or no prior car driving experience (days in driving school don’t count) and live in a crowded city and with a limited budget you are better off going in for a good used car to learn your driving in. If you are particular about reliability go for a certified used car. If your budget allows it you should go in for a new car but here again I would suggest a compact hatchback to start. Upgrade whenever you are comfortable with driving and do so in a time frame that you don’t lose money on the sale.

If you have sufficient driving experience and your budget permits you should go in for the vehicle that best matches your requirements.

What  you should consider while making the decision:

·         What is your budget for purchase and what is your annual budget for maintenance & insurance?

·         Do you need to take a loan? If so how much money do you need to keep ready from your side and how much will the loan cover?

·         Do you mind buying a used car or do you prefer a new one? (Check: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying-car/17751-article-buying-new-car-vs-used-car.html)

·         Will you drive or have a driver? (If you plan to keep a driver you would be looking for good front passenger side comfort and rear seat comfort and space, rugged build and good mileage while if you would be driving it yourself driving comfort would be of first importance)

·         Do you have any special requirements or needs (very tall or short driver or a physical disability requiring a hand controlled vehicle)? (Some manufacturers build custom hand controlled vehicles with automatic gear shifters that allow people with disabilities to drive a car easily.

·         How many passengers would you need to carry frequently? For example if you may be the primary driver during the week but on weekends you would like to ferry along the entire family of 5/6/7 people on outings. If you have a small number you may be able to do with a hatchback or a entry level compact sedan but if you have a large family you may need to look at SUVs/MUVs.

·         How much and where will you be driving? (If you will be driving a lot then it may make sense to look for a vehicle that runs on diesel or is a petrol car allowing the use of petrol and LPG or CNG or a petrol electric hybrid. If your travel is limited then a petrol would do just as well since the vehicle would be cheaper and wouldn’t warrant the higher initial purchase price)

·         Do you have space to park the vehicle of your choice easily and safely? (you may need to choose a smaller vehicle if your parking spot doesn’t allow a large vehicle)

·         How important is looks, colors, features, safety, performance, ease of driving, space, payload, mileage, maintenance cost, ASS (After Sales Service) to you?

·         Do you have a preferred brand you want to buy? If you like a certain brand you may have a more positive view of vehicles of that brand – it also makes sense to test drive vehicles from their competitors as well for you may be pleasantly surprised.

·         What features are must haves for you and what are nice to have?

What is considered essential in a vehicle these days?

If you ask me I will list driving comfort, good visibility all around , AC/ heater, power windows (at-least front two) and central locking, internally adjustable ORVMs, CD/Mp3 player with radio,5 speed gearbox and seating space for 4 people(with seatbelts for all) with room for some luggage(foldable rear seats where available are almost mandatory) would be the bare minimum requirements. Any vehicle that comes with added safety features is recommended over vehicles of the same price that do not carry the same features.

What are nice to have features?

Safety features like ABS and Airbags would be highest on the list of nice to have followed by rear defogger, rear wiper, Remote keyless entry, tachometer and fog lamps, adjustable seat height & steering wheel ,alloy wheels, storage space for small items and bottles, under seat storage, cup holders, provision for speakers, tilt seats at the rear, split-folding-seats at the rear. This list is endless since there are many optional features available on todays vehicles.

When buying new:

·         Make sure you have read up as much as you can from the manufacturer website and from enthusiast forums like Team-BHP and also magazines which have detailed test drive reports of the vehicles you are interested in. Only when you are fully informed should you go to a dealer.

·         Check with multiple dealers for the same brand if you have such a choice in your city

·         Negotiate the price and accessories

·         Buy when there are good deals available if you can wait and walk away if you are being pressurized by the dealer

·         Accessorize but with limits and aesthetically(http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying-car/21800-article-must-have-accessories-your-new-car.html)

·         Service should be easily available /(someone )

·         24 hr help lines a must

·         Avoid non popular colors/models as later resale may be affected

·         Ask if there are special edition versions with more features than regular ones at a discounted price

·         Wait for reviews of new models to come out before you run out and buy. You don’t want to be the tester for your own new vehicle.  Six months after launch is a good time to hope a majority of initial quality issues of a new launch are fixed.

·         Be cautious of dealers selling you their demo-vehicles as new vehicles.

When buying pre-owned (used):

·         Avoid cars modified beyond recognition or with illegal modifications

·         Cars with more than 15k km per year/unless you are getting a really good deal and you know the vehicle checks out fine mechanically

·         Without legal papers ( you will have trouble with papers for very old cars.)

·         Without legal emission compliant features

·         Think twice before going in for C/D class cars with high parts cost/parts availability issues

·         Think several times before choosing vehicles painted to colors other than what is mentioned on the Registration

·         Think several times before going in for vehicles whose manufacturers are no longer in business (getting spares and service may be an issue – you may get a really good deal on the vehicle though)

·         Cars registered out of your residential state may require a re-registration and life-taxes to be paid again

This blog has the following resources for new car purchase:

Indian OEM Websites,

Popular Used Car Portals

& India Auto Magazines – Please refer to them to review your options and make your selection.