Six Airbag Rule: The mandatory six airbag rule for vehicles has been postponed by the Indian government. The announcement was made via a series of tweets from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. He stated that starting on October 1, 2023, vehicles must have a minimum of six airbags. The government had previously released a draft notification on January 14, 2022, requiring vehicles of category M1 (with up to 8 seats) constructed after October 1, 2022, to have a minimum of six airbags.
Nitin Gadkari announces on Twitter
Now, in recent tweets, Nitin Gadkari has said, “Safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles irrespective of their cost and variants is the foremost priority,” said Gadkari. “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,” He added.
The requirement for six airbags in automobiles was challenged by several automakers on the grounds that it would burden consumers. The companies said this because it will result in additional costs at a time when customers are already demoralised due to recent price hikes. On the other hand, many automakers have started including six airbags as standard equipment in their new automobiles.
The government published a draft notification on January 14, 2022, requiring that vehicles of category M1, manufactured after 1st of October, 2022, be equipped with two side/side torso airbags, one for each person occupying a front row outboard seat, and two side curtain/tube airbags, one for each person occupying an outboard seat.
In a conference, almost a month ago, Nitin Gadkari responded, “Koshish toh hai (we are trying),” when asked whether the government will mandate six airbag rule in cars (with up to eight passengers) starting in October of this year.
What is an Airbag?
An airbag is an occupant restraint device for cars that intervenes between the driver and the dashboard of the car during a collision to reduce the risk of major injury.
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