Aimed at enhancing the safety of the occupants in motor vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers, the government has decided that such vehicles must have minimum of 6 airbags.
Announcing this, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that the government has approved a draft GSR (General Statutory Rules) notification to make a minimum of 6 airbags compulsory for vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers.
"This will ultimately ensure the safety of passengers across all segments, irrespective of the cost or variant of the vehicle," Gadkari Tweeted.
The government had made the fitment of two airbags across all new models of cars from last year and this mandatory norm for all existing models came into force from January 1, 2022.
He said four additional airbags will be mandated in the M1 vehicle category (vehicles having not more than 8 seats) to minimise the impact of “frontal and lateral collisions" to the occupants seated in both front and rear compartments.
"Airbags will be made mandatory for two side or side torso airbags and two side curtain or tube airbags, covering all outboard passengers. This is a crucial step to make motor vehicles in India safer than ever," the Minister said.
As per the National Crime Record Bureau report on road accidents in the country, 17,538 car occupants died in road crashes in 2020, which was around 13% of the total road fatalities.
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