UPSC Articles
Mandatory provision of Airbags
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Disaster Management
In news
- A Gazette notification has been issued regarding mandatory provision of an airbag for passengers seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
- Ministry: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Key takeaways
- Vehicles manufactured on and after the April 1, 2021 (new models) and August 31, 2021 (existing models) shall be fitted with airbags.
- This safety feature is based on suggestions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.
- It is compulsory for all existing models in the M1 category — passenger motor vehicles having not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s.
Important value additions
Airbags
- An airbag pops up as a protective cushion between the passenger and the car’s dashboard during a collision.
- In moderate to severe frontal crashes, front airbags are designed to inflate in order to prevent a person’s head and chest from contacting hard structures in the vehicle.
Do you know?
- As per a recent World Bank report, India accounts for 10% of all road crash victims in the world.
- Some of the other safety features in automobiles are:
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- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
- Speed Alert System
- Reverse Parking Sensors
- Driver and passenger seat belt reminder
- Manual override for central locking system
