Initiative to generate awareness on state of vehicle safety in India & available industry solutions

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• Event to be attended by international vehicle safety experts
• Live demonstrations & test drive of vehicles fitted with & without ESP® & ABS

February 1, 2013, Chennai: Bosch India, a leading provider of products and services in the automotive technology, energy and building technology, industrial technology and consumer goods space, is organizing the 'Safety Drive' symposium in collaboration with WABCO INDIA. WABCO is a leading global supplier of technologies and control systems for the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles. Scheduled to take place on February 5-6, 2013 at WABCO's proving ground and test track in Chennai, the symposium will serve as a platform for industry bodies, OEMs and media to examine and deliberate on the present state of vehicle safety in India. The symposium thus aims at highlighting available technologies and solutions to improve vehicle and road safety in India.

Present state of global road accident fatalities

According to the United Nations (UN), worldwide 1.3 million people die in traffic accidents each year, and 50 million are injured. Within ten years, the number of annual road deaths could rise to 1.9 million - nearly 50 percent rise. This is driven mainly by the rapid growth in road traffic in the emerging countries. The UN has thus announced 2011-2020 as the 'Decade of Action for Road Safety' with the objective to reduce the forecasted number of road deaths by 50%. One of the five pillars that the UN has described for this project is 'Safer Vehicles.' This entails universal deployment of crash avoidance technologies like the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) and Antilock Braking System (ABS) in commercial vehicles, cars and motorcycles.

Road accident fatalities in India

According to the latest Road Transport Ministry report, India had one road accident every minute in 2011 that claimed one life every 3.7 minutes. India thus perhaps has the highest road fatality rate in the world. The need to tackle this issue expeditiously couldn't have been more pronounced. Keeping in view the urgency to address this problem, Bosch and WABCO being one of the major providers of vehicle safety solutions to the market, have taken the initiative to collaborate with the automobile industry to discuss possible measures in this direction.

An initiative towards vehicle safety awareness

Commenting on the event, Mr. Balasubramanian, Deputy Managing Director, Bosch Chassis Systems India Limited said, "The 'Safety Drive' symposium is in an initiative to garner the collective effort of all stakeholders who support the cause of improved vehicle safety in India. As a company dedicated to developing technology that is 'Invented for Life,' it is imperative that Bosch contributes towards making vehicles safer. It is crucial that critical safety features become a mandatory aspect of any vehicle that plies on Indian roads. The problems and fatalities on Indian roads are very real and it is imperative that we use available technology and global best practices to make our vehicles safer. And in this endeavor we look forward the support of OEMs, the government, industry players and the end users themselves."

Reinforcing WABCO's commitment to advance safety and driver effectiveness in commercial vehicles, Mr.P. Kaniappan, Whole- Time Director, WABCO INDIA said, "With the rapid growth in traffic volumes and transportation routes throughout India, we are facing an alarming growth in the number and severity of road accidents. Partnering on this 'Safety Drive 2013' initiative with Bosch offers a powerful platform to highlight the positive and proven impact that established vehicle safety technologies, including ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control), can have on reducing the number of accidents on India's roads today".

Participation of international experts

"The 'Safety Drive' symposium will see the participation of international experts. David Ward, Director General of the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, a UK registered charity that promotes road safety, and sustainable mobility will speak on "The Decade of Action for Road Safety-Global Plan". Mr. Thomas Lich from Bosch Corporate Research will present on Accident Research in India, while Dr. Christian Wiehen, Chief Technology Officer, WABCO, will speak on "More Safety on Indian roads with WABCOs Active Safety Systems".

Symposium guests also include Prince Michael (first cousin to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II), a patron of the Global Road Safety Commission and Mr. B. Bhanot Chairman TEDC (BIS) - a major authority in formulation and implementation of safety and emission regulations in the country.

About WABCO

WABCO (NYSE: WBC) is a leading global supplier of technologies and control systems for the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles. For over 140 years, WABCO has pioneered breakthrough electronic, mechanical and mechatronic technologies for braking, stability and transmission automation systems supplied to the world's leading commercial truck, trailer and bus manufacturers. With sales of $2.8 billion in 2011, WABCO is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. For more information, visit www.wabco-auto.com

About WABCO INDIA

WABCO INDIA has four world-class manufacturing sites located in Ambattur, Chennai; Jamshedpur; Mahindra World City; and Pant Nagar; as well as a software development centre and a company-owned test track in Chennai. WABCO INDIA excels in engineering, manufacturing and local sourcing. It designs, manufactures and markets conventional braking products, advanced braking systems, and other related air-assisted products and systems. WABCO INDIA has achieved a major market share in the Indian OEM market as well as the domestic aftermarket, which it serves through an extensive national distribution network. WABCO INDIA employs over 1,100 employees and reported Rs. 1058 Crs sales in its fiscal year 2011-12.

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