BUCKLE UP

Sanctions Force Russian Car Maker to Build Vehicles Without Air Bags

Other key safety features are missing from a popular sedan when production resumed last week.

As well as causing carnage in Ukraine, Putin’s war is having unexpected dangerous consequences for Russian business. In light of sanctions imposed on Russian industry, one car manufacturer has had to cut back on key safety features—including air bags—from the latest version of its popular sedan. AvtoVAZ stopped producing Lada cars in March because the firm couldn’t get hold of key parts. But after the Kremlin slashed safety standards, production resumed last week. Russian buyers might be surprised by the specs of the company’s Lada Granta, however, which will no longer have air bags, emergency retraction locks on seat belts, anti-lock brakes, or electronic stability control. David Ward, executive president of Global New Car Assessment Program, described the move as a “a very symbolic step backwards” for the country that held the first major road-safety conference in 2009.