Shirish Gandhi
In India, the installation of six airbags for all cars and SUVs may become mandatory. After meeting today with representatives of the Association of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Minister of Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari tweeted: “For the safety of passengers, I have called on all private car manufacturers to compulsorily provide all variants and parts of their vehicles. There are at least 6 airbags.”
- From December 31, 2021, all cars and SUVs must be equipped with dual airbags
- 6 airbags may become mandatory requirements in the future
- Will help cars become safer, but it will also make them more expensive
Six airbags improve passenger safety
As of July 1, 2019, all passenger cars in the country must install a driver’s side airbag.From April 1 of this year, all new models must be equipped with front passenger airbags, while existing vehicle models must meet the requirements from August 31, although The deadline was then postponed Until December 31, 2021.
With Gadkari’s latest announcement, the number of airbags per four-wheeler passenger may increase to six, but the minister did not disclose the timetable for this move.
For starters, the driver’s and passenger’s front airbags are installed on the steering wheel and dashboard respectively to protect the first row of passengers in the event of a frontal collision. The car can even install a pair of airbags on the outer part of the two front seats, and the other pair on the windows on both sides, so that the vehicle has a total of six airbags. Side airbags and curtain airbags are respectively called airbags, which can protect all vehicle occupants in the event of a side collision.
Which automakers will be affected?
Currently, automakers like Maruti Suzuki, Renault and Nissan No model sold in India offers six passenger airbags. Other mass market participants do offer more airbags in some of their vehicles, although usually just more expensive and higher trim.
Adding more than two airbags to a car requires manufacturers to redesign the vehicle structure, mainly to accommodate additional curtain airbags and deploy them safely in the event of a collision. This will also drive up costs significantly, making the vehicle more expensive.
Therefore, when the new regulations take effect, it will be accompanied by an increase in car prices. On the other hand, luxury car manufacturers have already met the upcoming requirements.
See also:
Indian cars will be forced to use ESC for automatic emergency braking in 2022
In the Ford Road Safety Survey, Delhi performed the worst and Kolkata performed the best
