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Govt makes 6 airbags mandatory for all cars carrying upto 8 passengers

The Ministry had already ordered the installation of the driver airbag beginning July 1, 2019, and the front co-passenger airbag starting January 1, 2022.

Govt makes 6 airbags mandatory for all cars carrying upto 8 passengers gcw
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New Delhi, First Published Jan 14, 2022, 7:08 PM IST

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has authorised a preliminary notification requiring six airbags in M1 passenger vehicles. The Ministry had already ordered the installation of the driver airbag beginning July 1, 2019, and the front co-passenger airbag starting January 1, 2022.

"To improve the safety of occupants in motor vehicles carrying up to 8 people, I have officially authorised a Draft GSR Notification to make a minimum of 6 Airbags mandatory," Union Road & Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari tweeted on Friday.

To lessen the effect of frontal and lateral crashes on occupants in both the front and back compartments, it has been agreed that four extra airbags, two side/side torso airbags and two side curtain/tube airbags protecting all outboard passengers will be compulsory in the M1 vehicle category. This is a critical step in making Indian automobiles safer than ever before. 

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According to Gadkari, this would eventually secure the safety of passengers across all sectors, regardless of vehicle cost and variant. For the uninitiated, the M1 category denotes a motor vehicle used for passenger transportation with no more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat.

The statement comes when India is commemorating National Road Safety Week 2022, which runs from January 11 to January 18. When it comes to road safety, India is one of the worst countries globally, with the largest number of fatalities.

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