India is a country with the most unsafe roads in the world, every day people risk their lives while driving here. Although it is not entirely the fault of the driver, because road safety is not in his hands, but making the vehicles safe is definitely in the hands of the vehicle owners.
Well, the Government of India is already tightening the noose on the vehicle owners regarding the safety, and now taking a step in this direction, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made some safety features mandatory and a new star for new cars in the country. Safety rating system is planned to be introduced. Which we are going to tell about.
These features will be included
The ministry is expected to issue a draft notification soon, making a three-point seat belt mandatory for all front-facing passengers in a car, including the middle seat in the back row of the car. MoRTH chief Nitin Gadkari also said in a press conference on Thursday, “I have signed a file yesterday making it mandatory for automakers to provide three-point seat belts for all front passengers in the car.”
However, the minister did not specify when the new decision would come into force. Currently, most cars in the country only have a three-point seatbelt in the front seats and rear seats, with a two-point seatbelt on the center rear seat or a lap belt as seen on airplanes. Curiously, there was no mention of making the seatbelt reminder system mandatory for all passengers, which is a cheap and effective way to ensure that passengers are always strapped. Currently, seatbelt reminder is mandatory only for the front two seats.
Apart from three-point seatbelts, Gadkari said that other features like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Auto Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Changing Warning will also be included. However, an exact date for the implementation of all these new safety features like the three-point seatbelt is yet to be disclosed by the ministry.