Automobile and central-locking system companies have distanced themselves from the recent cases of fire in cars, though the issue has been taken up by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), which is investigating the causes behind the incidents.

Most of the companies the media has contacted blamed fake accessories and poor fitments as probable reasons.

"Wrong connection or poor maintenance of electrical parts/wiring of the car can lead to short circuit, which can further lead to a fire case," an official at AutoCop India, one of the major car central locking system manufacturer, said.

The official said electrical should be handled by "authorised person only" to prevent the occurrence of such incidents.

"We use overload protection fuse which rules out the possibility of short-circuit or car catching fire due to our system," AutoCop maintained.

Honda, one of whose car was involved in one such incident that resulted in the death of two occupants, also echoed similar views and said non approved/non-genuine locking systems could lead to accidents.

"Spurious accessories and retro-fitting from unauthorised sources can lead to fire hazards due to tampering by ill-qualified mechanics with the original electrical system of the car and using sub-standard product like non-automotive grade wires," a company spokesperson said.

Asked why automatic fuel supply cut off could not prevent the recent incident, Honda said, "The police are conducting an investigation into what led to the fire; we would not like to comment on it. We await the result of police investigations in the matter."

This is the second time when faulty car locking systems have led to human casualties. In the devastating Mumbai floods last year, many of the occupants had died after being unable to unlock the doors which got jammed as water levels rose.

SIAM Executive Director (Technical) K K Gandhi said the body was looking into the reasons behind the incidents.

"We are speaking to the automobile companies as we look into the whole issue," Gandhi said.

SIAM, the representative body of the Indian automobile industry, is awaiting a report from the Delhi police before proceeding ahead with its investigation. "The analysis of the accidents is underway. However, we are yet to receive a final report from the police," he said.

However, all those queried said customer education was necessary to deal with such cases of emergency.

"Drivers/customers are advised not to panic in situations and stop the car immediately. They should straight away open the doors manually and get out of the car as soon as possible," Honda said.

The company said all the central locking systems have a manual override which ensured that occupants could open doors in case the electrical systems failed.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1637166.cms