The Centre will make it mandatory for carmakers to provide a minimum of six airbags in motor vehicles that can carry up to 8 passengers from October 1 this year to enhanced safety of occupants.
As of now, two airbags are mandatory in all vehicles – one for the driver and the other for the co-passenger in the front seat.
The rule for airbags for the driver’s seat was made mandatory from July 1, 2019, while the one for the co-passenger came into effect from January 1 this year.
Notification
On Friday. the government issued a draft notification seeking comments from the public and other stakeholders on the proposed rule that will make it mandatory for car manufacturers to provide for six airbags from 1 October.
The comments received over the next one month will be reviewed by the government and a final notification, with modifications if any, will be issued to implement the rule.
Friday’s notification is a follow-up to Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari appeal to car manufacturers on 3 August last year to provide a minimum of 6 airbags across all variants and segments of vehicles.
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)
A senior officer from SIAM said, “We have been saying that the decision of the government has to be backed up by accident data and have conveyed the same to the ministry.
Firstly, globally nowhere such a mandate exists. Even the mandate for an airbag for the co-driver which we now have in India doesn’t exist anywhere else.
Secondly, car occupant safety should not be the priority concern over or against pedestrian or two-wheeler safety.
Thirdly, Indian crash regulations are absolutely at par with global standards. Fourthly, there have also been behavioural issues with regard to four wheeler drivers.”
Comment from Transport Minister
Nitin Gadkari: “In order to enhance the safety of the occupants in motor vehicles carrying upto 8 passengers, I have now approved a Draft General Statutory Rules Notification to make a minimum of 6 Airbags compulsory.”
In the recently concluded winter session of the Parliament, Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha that 23,483 pedestrians lost their lives in road crashes in 2020. As per NCRB data, 17,538 car occupants died in road crashes the same year.
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