Good News! Govt Extends Deadline For Making Front Passenger Airbags Mandatory

In order to tighten the safety rules, airbags were made mandatory for the passenger next to the driver in April but the rule has been postponed for now.

airbags

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had recently made airbags mandatory for the seat adjacent to the driver's seat. However, the ministry has postponed this decision for the time being. The ruling has been postponed till 31st December 2021. The government has made this decision with the coronavirus pandemic in view. Now, only the airbag for the driver's seat is mandatory. 

SIAM Asks for More Time
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has sought time to implement the rule. Earlier, the ministry had made passenger-side airbags mandatory for new car models on 1st April 2021 (and then 31st August 2021 for the cars manufactured after 1st April) to help reduce the impact of accidents to some extent.  

Airbags Mandatory
After this ruling, it is mandatory for all car manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki, Tata, Mahindra, Renault, Hyundai, Kia, MG Motors, and Honda to provide airbags for the driver and front passenger in all their models.

Accident Statistics
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, approximately 80,000 people are victims of accidents in the country every year. 13% of all the accidents in the world happen in India. In view of these accidents, the government wants to implement these new safety rules.