NEW DELHI: In a new development ensuring road safety and in preventing road accidents, the government has made a decision making it mandatory for carmakers to provide three-point seat belts for all cars with front-facing seats of passengers.
On Thursday 10 February the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed that the government has made three-point seat belts mandatory for cars with front-facing passenger seats.
The union minister stated that he had signed a file on Wednesday to make it compulsory for automakers to ensure in providing 3 point seat belts for all cars having front-facing passenger seats.
At the present, the three-point seat facility is provided by most cars with only front seats and 2 rear seats and the middle rear seat in such cars is available with a lap seat belt. These two-point seat belts are the same as those provided in aircraft seats.
In January 2022, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that it will take a decision that the carmakers or automakers shall equip cars with a minimum of six airbags in motor vehicles that has the capacity to carry at least eight passengers to ensure the safety of the occupants from October 2022. The ministry said that this will be made mandatory for carmakers.
The minister on Thursday said that around 1.5 lakh people lost their lives every year in more than 5 lakh road accidents that occur in different parts of the country.
Nitin Gadkari further added that the need at present is to create public awareness for measures related to road safety through spreading knowledge in view of this.
According to information from Gadkari, a system had been initiated for star rating of vehicles on the basis of standards and various road safety protocols. This system has been proposed with the aim of improving road safety measures.
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