The government of India has announced that it will soon make front passenger-side airbag mandatory for all cars. Currently, all four-wheelers manufactured on or after 1st July 2019 are required to have at least a driver-side airbag, ABS, rear parking sensors, driver seatbelt reminder, and a high-speed alert system.
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As per the reports, the prime technical panel on vehicle standards has given its approval to this plan. And as a matter of fact, the govt has further circulated a draft notification to revise automotive industry-standards (AIS) administering the safety quotient.
Commenting on the move, a government official said-
“There is a consensus across the globe that vehicles should have maximum features to protect the occupants in case of a crash. We have also made it clear that there won’t be any compromise on safety features irrespective of the cost.”
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The govt hasn't revealed the timeline for the new norm. But the road transport ministry could give at least a one-year interval to auto manufacturers so that they can make their cars obedient to the latest safety standards.
Besides this, the government has also suggested to not offer child lock systems in M1 category transport vehicles (vehicle used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat). This step is being taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers/travelers. Currently, it is compulsory for drivers of commercial transport vehicles to disable the chid lock system.
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As of now, car manufacturers offer passenger-side airbag as a standard feature in most of their models. However, only budget cars such as Maruti Alto, Renault Kwid, Maruti Eeco, Datsun Redi-GO, etc are exempted from this life-saving airbag. With this new safety policy, economical cars will also become more secure.
