Airbags, seat-belt reminders, speed alert mandatory in cars from July 2019

New Delhi : The Union road transport ministry has cleared the timeline for the implementation of increased safety standards on road transport. 

To be applicable from July 1, 2019, the new rules require all car manufacturers to equip vehicles with airbags, seat-belt reminders, alert systems for speeds beyond 80kmph, reverse parking alerts, as well as manual override over the central locking system for emergencies. 

The new rules will be notified in a few days, a report said.

At present, only luxury cars have such features, which are crucial for the safety of occupants. 

Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the move for the passenger as well as pedestrian safety on India's roads as thousands of people die in road crashes every year. In 2016, speeding alone accounted for nearly 74,000 of the 1.51 lakh deaths in road accidents. "The new cars will be fitted with a system that issues audio alerts when the speed crosses 80kmph. The alert will be sharper when the vehicle crosses 100kmph, and non-stop when it's over 120 kmph," a transport ministry official told Times of India.

Transport ministry sources told the media house that airbags and reverse sensors would also be made mandatory for light commercial vehicles, which primarily run in urban areas.