Government makes dual airbags mandatory w.e.f. April 1

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In an effort to improvise passenger safety in cars, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made dual airbags in the front row a mandatory prerequisite in all cars manufactured and marketed in the country, with effect from April 1.

According to the latest mandate announced in a gazette notification by MoRTH, all the new passenger cars manufactured in the Indian market starting from April 1, 2021, need to offer dual front airbags as standard fitment. Similarly, the deadline to adapt to this rule for the existing vehicles is August 31, 2021.

Furthermore, the gazette notification states that the airbags need to comply with the AIS 145 standard based on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) terms.

The entry-level variants of several passenger cars in the Indian automobile market, namely Maruti Suzuki Alto, Hyundai Santro, Renault Kwid, Datsun Redigo, and Mahindra Bolero, are offered only with a driver-side airbag as standard.

Although the new mandate would add-on to the safety of Indian cars, the addition of a front passenger airbag will result in a Rs 6,000-8,000 increment in the starting prices of the abovementioned vehicles.

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