In news : The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has mandated that all new passenger vehicles should have dual airbags from April 1, 2021
Key updates
- The ministry had proposed to make airbags compulsory for the passenger seated in the front next to the driver in December 2020.
- As per the current safety standards, passenger cars sold in India are required to provide only one airbag(only the driver’s seat).
- Since July 2019, airbags for the driver’s seat in the front row have been mandatory.
- The Ministry has now made it mandatory for cars to have an airbag installed for the passenger side as well.
- Compliance date: For the existing models, the compliance date has been set at August 31 2021.
- The proposed mandate is based on the suggestions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.
- The new proposal is aimed at making cars more safer but the new rule also comes at a price
Impact
This move is expected to increase car prices in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 on average
Airbags
Airbags inflate extremely quickly upon collision and then deflate, cushioning the blow to passengers if the vehicle suddenly comes to a stop. Airbags are known to increase the chances of survival during accidents.
The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.
It was headed by former apex court judge Justice K S P Radhakrishnan(later by retired judges, Justice A M Sapre)
Source: Business Today
