Six airbags in passenger vehicles should be mandatory: IRF

The six airbags in passenger vehicles should be made mandatory once 85 per cent of the people start wearing rear seat belts, global road safety body International Road Federation (IRF) said on Friday.

New Delhi: The six airbags in passenger vehicles should be made mandatory once 85 per cent of the people start wearing rear seat belts, global road safety body International Road Federation (IRF) said on Friday. The government has deferred the implementation of the proposal to make six airbags mandatory in passenger cars by one year to October 1, 2023.

It had earlier planned to make six airbags mandatory in eight-seater vehicles for enhanced safety of occupants from October 1, 2022. IRF in a statement also urged Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari that this provision should not be time bound but should be governed by the survey, indicating how many people are wearing rear seat belts.

"Once this (people wearing rear seat belts) figure crosses 85 per cent pan India, the government should go ahead and make six airbags mandatory in passenger cars. "Otherwise, it will become counterproductive and we will lose more lives," IRF President Emeritus KK Kapila said.

An airbag interferes between the driver and the vehicle's dashboard during a collision, thereby preventing serious injuries. In a crash, seat belts are primary restraint devices whereas airbags are supplemental support. Kapila said several global studies have shown that if an airbag is deployed without having the seat belt on, it can cause severe injuries and even death.