The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been concentrating on the safety of Indian-made automobiles. Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of MoRTH previously stated that the government will soon make six-airbags compulsory in vehicles carrying up to eight people. According to reports, India's government may soon make three-point seatbelts mandatory in cars with a middle seat.
Most cars in the country now have four three-point seatbelts or Y seatbelts for two front and two rear passengers, with an aircraft-style or lap belt for the middle seat.
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Within a month, the MoRTH is likely to produce a draft notification recommending that automakers make a three-point seatbelt for the centre rear seat mandatory. However, before making it a law, the government will solicit public input and proposals.
The government's goal is to raise the overall safety ratings of passenger cars produced in India. Except for a few models, the ministry discovered that no car in India has three-point seatbelts for the passenger positioned in the middle seat at the back. They only have a lap belt, which is discovered to be ineffective in the event of a collision, putting the passenger in grave danger. According to experts, a large part of the blame should be put on passenger behaviour, as nearly 90% of Indian car passengers do not use rear seatbelts at all.
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This comes after the Ministry of Roads and Transportation (MoRTH) issued a draught notification on January 14th, requesting public input on a proposed rule that would require all carmakers to include six airbags in all vehicles.
Swedish Automaker, Volvo was the first manufacturer in the automotive industry to create the three-point seatbelt and began using it in their cars in 1959, when it was patented. However, in the interest of public safety, the corporation opted to keep the patent open.
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