Lok Sabha Question No. 1262 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-09
Subject: Use of Six Airbags in Passenger Car
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi, Sunil Kumar Singh

be  pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  deferred  the  implementation  of  the proposal to make use of six airbags mandatory in passenger cars in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; (b) whether it is a fact that more than 1.55 lakh lives were lost in road accidents in the country during the last year and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that over eleven per cent of such deaths and injuries were caused due to non-usage of seat belts in the country and if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) the other steps being taken by the Government for the safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, vide draft GSR 16(E) dated  14th  January,  2022,  had  proposed  that  vehicles  of  category

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1262 ANSWERED ON 9 th  FEBRUARY 2023

## USE OF SIX AIRBAGS IN PASSENGER CAR

1262.  SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI: SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

M1(i.e, a motor vehicle used for carriage of passengers, comprising not more than 8 seats, in addition to the driver's seat), manufactured after 1st October 2022, shall be fitted with two side/side torso air bags, one each for the persons occupying front row outboard seating positions and two side curtain/tube air bags, one each for the persons occupying outboard seating positions. This has been notified to enhance safety for  the  vehicle  occupants. Comments and objections were solicited from all stakeholders.

After  considering  the  comments  received  from  stakeholders, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, vide draft GSR 751(E) dated 30th September, 2022, has proposed to revise the date of implementation to 1st October, 2023. Comments and suggestions were once again invited from all the stakeholders within the period of thirty days which are under consideration before the Ministry.

- (b) & (d) As per the data available with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the number of fatalities is given in the table below:-

|   Year | Fatalities   |
|--------|--------------|
|   2018 | 1,19,860     |
|   2019 | 1,51,113     |
|   2020 | 1,31,714     |
|   2021 | 1,53,972     |

Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles),  Enforcement  and  Emergency  Care.  Accordingly,  various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry as detailed below: -

- (1)     Education:
- i.      To  create effective public awareness about road safety, Ministry undertakes various publicity measures and awareness campaigns through social media, electronic media and print media. Further, Ministry implements a scheme to provide financial assistance to various agencies for administering Road Safety Advocacy.
- ii.     Observance  of  National  Road  Safety  Month/Week  every  year  for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
- iii.  A Certification Course for Road Safety Auditor has been mandated for technical officers of all road owning agencies under the Ministry up to the level of Superintending Engineer or equivalent.
- iv. To impart driving training, Ministry has been implementing a scheme for setting up of Institute of Driving Training & Research (IDTRs), Regional  Driving  Training  Centres  (RDTCs)  and  Driving  Training Centres (DTCs) at state/district level across the Country.
- (2)    Engineering (both of Roads and vehicles)
7. 2.1.   Road engineering:
- i.     Road  safety  has  been  made  an  integral  part  of  road  design  at planning stage. Road Safety Audit (RSA) of all highway projects has been made mandatory at all stages.
- ii.    Road Safety Audit (RSA) of all National Highways (NHs) has been made mandatory through third party auditors/ experts at all stages i.e. design, construction, operation and maintenance etc.
- iii.   High  priority  to  identification and  rectification  of  black  spots
11. /accident spots on National Highways.
- iv.   Road Safety Officer (RSO) has been designated at each Regional Office of road owning agencies under the Ministry to look after RSA, blackspot rectification and other road safety related works.
- v.  Five stretches of NH having higher number of accidents/blackspots are being developed as Model Safe Roads under each regional office of all road owning agencies under the Ministry.
- vi.   Five project stretches under construction are being developed as Model Safe Construction  Zones  under  each  regional  office  of  all road owning agencies under the Ministry.
- vii.  The electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) Project has been initiated to establish a central repository for reporting, management  and  analysis  of  road  accidents  data  across  the Country.
- viii. Ministry and IRC has issued various codes and guidelines, time to time, to implement various road safety measures so as to minimize accidents on National Highways.
17. 2.2   Vehicle engineering:
- i.    The Ministry has notified regarding mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
- ii.    This  Ministry,  vide  notification  dated  15th February,  2022  has prescribed norms related to safety measures for children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motor cycle. Further, it specifies use of a safety harness, crash helmet and restricts speed to 40kmph.
- iii.   Ministry  has  notified  the  mandatory  fitment  of  following  listed safety technologies from 01st July 2019.

For M1 category vehicles:

- a. Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) for driver and co-driver.
- b. Manual Override for central locking system
- c. Over speed warning system.
4. For all M and N category vehicles:
- a. Reverse Parking Alert System
- iv.   The  Ministry  has  mandated  Anti-Lock  Braking  System  (ABS)  for certain classes of L [Motor vehicle with less than four wheels and includes a Quadricycle], M [Motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers] and N [Motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for carrying goods which may also carry persons in  addition  to  goods,  subject  to  conditions  stipulated  in  BIS standards] categories.
- v.    This Ministry has mandated approval of vehicles for protection of occupants in the event of an Offset Frontal Collision, for requirements for behavior of steering mechanism of the vehicle in a Head-on collision, Protection of Occupants in the event of Lateral Collision and for approval of vehicles with regard to protection of
8. pedestrians  and  other  vulnerable  road  users  in  the  event  of  a collision with a motor vehicle.
- vi.   The Ministry has mandated speed limiting function/speed limiting device  in  all  transport  vehicles,  except  for  two  wheelers,  three ambulances  and  police
10. wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, vehicles.
- vii.  This Ministry has mandated compliance of the fully built buses (with a  seating  capacity  of  22  passengers  or  above,  excluding  driver), manufactured on and after 1st April 2019, with the requirements of Fire Detection, Alarm and Suppression system. Further, compliance of type III buses of category M3 and school buses with fire alarm and  protection  system  in  occupant  compartment  has  also  been
12. mandated, on and after 26th January 2023.
- viii. The Ministry has prescribed the format in which manufacturers issue the Road Worthiness Certification registering motor vehicles.
14. vehicle for
- ix.   Scheme for setting up one model Inspection & Certification Centre in each State/UT with Central assistance for testing the fitness of vehicles through an automated system.
- x.   Ministry vide Notifications dated 23 rd  September, 2021 and 31 st  October, 2022 published the rules for  recognition, regulation and control of Automated Testing Stations.
- xi.    Notification  vide  GSR  272(E)  dated  05 th  April.  2022,  provides  for mandatory fitness of vehicles only through an Automated Testing Stations. It mandates the fitness check of Heavy Goods Vehicles/Heavy Passenger Motor Vehicles only through automated testing stations with effect from 01st April 2023 onwards, and for Medium  Goods  Vehicles/Medium  Passenger  Motor  Vehicles  and Light Motor vehicles (Transport) with effect from 01st June 2024 onwards.
- xii.   Ministry  has  formulated  the  Vehicle  Scrapping  Policy  based  on incentives/dis-incentives and for creating an ecosystem to phase out older, unfit polluting vehicles
- (3)   Enforcement:
- i.    The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 as stands implemented provides for strict penalties for ensuring compliance and enhancing deterrence  for  violation  of  traffic  rules  and  strict  enforcement through use of technology.
- ii.      Ministry has issued notification G.S.R. 575(E) dated 11th August, 2021 for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety. The rules  specify  the  detailed  provisions  for  placement  of  electronic enforcement  devices  (speed  camera,  closed-circuit  television camera,  speed  gun,  body  wearable  camera,  dashboard  camera, Automatic  Number  Plate  Recognition  (ANPR),  weigh  in  machine (WIM)  and  any  such  other  technology  specified  by  the  State Government).
- (4)   Emergency care:
- i.      Ministry has published rules vide GSR 594(E) dated 29.09.2020 for the protection of Good Samaritan, who in good faith, voluntarily and without  expectation  of  any  reward  or  compensation  renders emergency medical or nonmedical care or assistance at the scene of  an  accident  to  the  victim  or  transports  such  victim  to  the
24. hospital.
- ii.     Ministry vide notification dated 25 th  February, 2022 has enhanced compensation of victims of Hit and Run motor accidents (from Rs. 12,500 to Rs. 50,000 for grievous hurt and from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 for death).
- iii.    The National Highways Authority of India has made provisions for ambulances with paramedical staff/Emergency Medical Technician/Nurse at toll plazas on the completed corridor of National Highways.

(c) Rule 125 of the CMVR, 1989 mandates that the manufacturer of every motor vehicle other than motor cycles and three-wheelers, shall equip every such vehicle with a seat belt for the driver and for the person occupying the front seat. Further, the manufacturer of every motor vehicle of M-1 category shall equip every motor vehicle with a seat belt for a person occupying the front facing rear seat. This Ministry, vide draft GSR 752(E) dated 30 th  September, 2022, has proposed  that  all  front  facing  seats  in  vehicles  of  M1  category manufactured on and after 01st April 2023,  be provided with three point seat belt.

*****