New rule on airbags means for passengers and carmakers

The central government has made front passenger airbags mandatory for all vehicles.

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The Ministry has mandated that “Vehicles manufactured on and after the April 1, 2021, in the case of new models, and August 31, 2021, in the case of existing models, shall be fitted with airbags for the person occupying the front seat, other than the driver.”

This has been mandated as an important safety feature and is also based on suggestions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.”

The latest mandate is for all existing models in the M1 category — passenger motor vehicles having not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s.

An airbag pops up as a protective cushion between the passenger and the car’s dashboard during a collision.

In moderate to severe frontal crashes, front airbags are designed to inflate in order to prevent a person’s head and chest from contacting hard structures in the vehicle.