Airbags, speed alert, parking sensors must from July 2019

The Union road transport ministry has reportedly approved a plan to make safety systems like airbags, speed alerts, parking sensors and seat belt reminders mandatory on all cars. Cars manufactured after July 1, 2019 will be required to have these systems installed. A report suggests that airbags and parking sensors will be also be made mandatory for light commercial vehicles.

In 2017, the government made it mandatory for cab operators to install speed governors in their cabs. Now, according to a transport ministry official, all new cars will be fitted with a speed alert system which will notify the driver when the vehicle speed exceeds 80 km/h. Over 100 km/h the alert will get louder while a non-stop alert will be sounded at speeds exceeding 120 km/h.

A manual override function for the central locking system will also be made compulsory. The system will ensure that in case of an accident, passengers don’t get trapped inside the vehicle.

By implementing these measures, the government is hoping to reduce the number of deaths caused due to over speeding as well as improve pedestrian safety on Indian roads.

Source: TOI