Mandatory six airbags in cars from October 1 unlikely: Government sources

Government is likely to defer making six airbags mandatory in passenger cars, a policy that was to come into effect from October 1, 2023, by at least another one year.

“There is no consensus on making six airbags compulsory...there is nothing written on it right now and no paper work or draft has been prepared,” a senior government official told businessline.

The official added that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is not working on it for the moment and whenever the policy decision is ready, the Ministry will share the details.

In January 2022, in a draft notification, the MoRTH had decided to enhance safety features of occupants of motor vehicles against lateral impact by making six airbags mandatory in all M1 category vehicles.

M1 vehicles

According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, M1 category of vehicles refers to passenger cars with a maximum of eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat and includes hatchbacks, sedans, multi/ sports utility vehicles (MUVs/SUVs).

Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari also announced the same in many public events, saying safety of occupants are important. He even said in the Lok Sabha that “The industry got upset because I made six airbags mandatory in economic models...they said cost will increase, but I told let it increase...if a poor man dies let him die and save the rich man, is it? So from now on, any economic model...the smallest of the smallest, even nano model, every car will have six airbags.”

The car manufacturers were told to fit two side/side torso airbags (for side impact crash), one each for the persons occupying front row outboard seating positions; and two side curtain/tube air bags (mounted to the side structure of the vehicle interior), one each for the persons occupying outboard seating positions.

However, on September 29, 2022 he announced that the deadline to implement this decision was extended by one year (October 1, 2023) as car manufacturers were going through supply chains issues.

“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 six airbags in passenger cars (M-1 Category) from October 1, 2023,” he had said.

Expecting the government would make six airbags mandatory, companies like Hyundai Motor India has already started fitting six airbags as standard in its vehicles including Creta, Alcazar, Ioniq 5, Tucson and even the recently launched Exter. It’s only small car Grand i10 Nios and compact sedan Aura have four airbags as standard right now.

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