New standards are being developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to improve the safety of Indian cars. The next major modification in Indian car safety standards will be the addition of more airbags as standard equipment. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has declared that all new automobiles sold in India would soon come standard with 6 airbags.
The MoRTH has issued a draft notification in January making 6 airbags mandatory in automobiles with an eight-person capacity. The draft notification stated that new cars will be required to comply with the enhanced safety standards beginning October 1, 2022.
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For a variety of reasons, the vehicle manufacturers reacted with predictable scepticism to the news. The addition of additional airbags will undoubtedly raise the car's price. Manufacturers need to modify the body shells of vehicles that do not have side and curtain airbags. If the price of an entry-level car rises by Rs 10,000 - 20,000, demand would most surely fall.
Airbags reduce the severity of collisions by preventing people from colliding with the steering wheel, dashboard, front glass, and other vehicle components. Currently, certain car manufacturers do not offer 6 airbags in any of their models. Other carmakers, on the other hand, only include 6 airbags in vehicles costing more than Rs 10 lakh. Although, some manufacturers are making six airbags standard in all variants of the automobile, such as the Kia Carens, which has six airbags as standard in all trim levels.
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India has one of the worst records in the world when it comes to road safety, and Indian cars are notoriously behind the times when it comes to giving safety measures. This is especially noticeable when compared to car models supplied by manufacturers in other worldwide markets, including those produced by Indian automakers.
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