Guwahati: Government has deferred the proposal of mandating a minimum of 6 Airbags in M-1 category passenger cars by a year and the new date is now October 1, 2023.
The announcement was made by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday.
In a tweet, the Union Minister said, “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.”
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He added, “Safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles irrespective of their cost and variants is the foremost priority.”
Earlier the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had made the driver airbag a compulsory fitment on all Motor vehicles of category M1 (motor vehicles.
The rule was made for vehicles manufactured on and after July 1, 2019, to ensure the driver’s safety.
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An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system that interferes between the driver and the vehicle’s dashboard during a collision, thereby preventing serious injuries.
A draft notification was issued on January 14, 2022, which mandates that vehicles of category M1, manufactured after October 1, 2022, be fitted with two side/side torso airbags, one each for the persons occupying front row outboard seating positions, and two side-curtain/tube airbags, one each for the persons occupying outboard seating positions.
However, the notification for implementation has been deferred.