6 airbags mandatory for passenger cars from 1 Oct, 2023

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the mandatory 6 airbags rule for passenger cars will come into force in October, 2023. The road transport ministry had earlier planned to make six airbags mandatory in eight-seater vehicles for enhanced safety of occupants from 1 October, 2022. 

The government had to defer the implementation of the proposal to make six airbags mandatory in passenger cars by a year due to global supply-chain constraints, Gadkari noted.

Taking to Twitter, Gadkari wrote, "Considering the global supply chain constraints being faced by the auto industry and its impact on the macroeconomic scenario, it has been decided to implement the proposal mandating a minimum of 6 Airbags in Passenger Cars (M-1 Category) w.e.f 01st October 2023."

The road transport minister also asserted that the safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles irrespective of their cost and variants is the foremost priority.

“Safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles irrespective of their cost and variants is the foremost priority,” the minister said in a tweet.

Gadkari had earlier emphasised the need to adopt safety norms for cars in the country, stressing that they should also think about safety of people using small economy cars.

"Majority of automobile manufacturers in India are exporting cars with 6 airbags. But in India, because of the economic model and cost, they are hesitating," he said.

Gadkari wondered why automobile manufacturers are not thinking about the lives of people using economy cars in the country. Mostly, lower middle-class people buy small economy cars.

An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system which interferes between the driver and the vehicle's dashboard during a collision, thereby preventing serious injuries.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, more than 1.55 lakh lives were lost in road crashes across India last year – an average of 426 daily or 18 every single hour – which is the highest death figures recorded in any calendar year so far.

According to the report titled 'Road accidents in India – 2020', over 11% of deaths and injuries were caused due to non-usage of seat belts.