The Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a draft notification for mandating six airbags for cars falling under the M1 category. This category essentially includes cars that can seat up to eight passengers. The order will come into effect for all cars manufactured from October 1, 2022. 

  • The rule will be effective for all cars manufactured post October 1, 2022. 
  • Additional four airbags will include curtain and two front side airbags. 
  • Prices are expected to increase by around Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. 

The draft notification says that the M1 category cars shall be fitted with two side-by-side torso airbags, one each for the persons occupying the front row, and two curtain airbags. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has already approved the draft. 

Most mass-market cars are not built to accommodate side airbags:

Fitting cars with airbags is not as straightforward as fitting accessories like speakers. There is a lot of research and development involved in the storage and placement of side airbags so that they are safe when stored and effective when deployed. Front airbags are fitted in the dash (for the passenger) and the steering wheel (for the driver) while side and curtain airbags would require to be fitted in front seats and along the top of the window line, respectively.

The manufacturers will also do a bit of reengineering to the cars as the car were not originally designed for accommodating 6 airbags. Changes would be made to the shell and the interior trims and that would also lead to a price rise of the vehicles.

Most mass-market cars don’t offer six airbags in any variant and were likely never designed to incorporate them either. Therefore, a mandate to make side and curtain airbags standard fitment would likely require significant changes which may not be feasible in the time given, not to mention the large costs involved. 

The manufacturers will need to make the safety changes, which will increase the prices, possibly by around Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. This comes in after the co-driver passenger airbag was mandated effective from April 1, 2021.