After carefully scrutinizing the casualties and mishaps that happen across the roads of the country, the government has made some safety equipment mandatory for new cars. A timeline has been approved by the Union Road Transport Ministry for implementing the prescribed new set of rules. Two-wheelers have also been added to the government mandated safety norms. The manufacturers are working in tight schedules to meet the deadlines.
All existing cars and two-wheelers need to comply with the new safety norms between April 2019 and October 2019. The Indian automobile industry is going to implement these measures to compete on a global scale and bring best in class safety standards for its consumers. Cars like Mahindra Marazzo and Tata Nexon have already passed global NCAP safety tests with flying colors. More Indian cars need to reciprocate their success and eventually aspire to beat the benchmark set by cars like Kia Soul, Subaru Legacy, and Genesis G80. For better evaluation of Indian cars, the government has proposed Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP). After its implementation, it will conduct safety tests for cars in India.
As a customer, you might be facing some hardships as you will have to additionally pay a few thousand bucks. But, on the brighter side, your vehicle will have new advanced safety features and it will be much safer than earlier. At the end of the day, that’s what matters the most.
Let’s take a closer look at the mandated safety features
For two-wheelers: Mandatory ABS/CBS
After the prescribed deadline all the two-wheelers must be equipped with ABS/CBS. These braking features will make the two-wheelers safer. Small bikes and scooters typically have an engine capacity below 125 cc. In these types of two-wheelers, CBS has been mandated. CBS stands for Combined Braking System. Typical two-wheelers have separate front brake lever and rear brake lever. CBS is what interconnects the two brakes. This feature will come in handy in situations where accidents are caused due to skidding and crashing. In CBS equipped two-wheelers even if a rider presses just one of the rear or front brakes, the brake on the other wheel will be applied proportionally.
For the two-wheelers that are above 125 cc slab, ABS is the mandated safety braking feature. ABS expands to Anti-lock Braking System. In bikes equipped with single channel ABS, only the front brake has ABS. Anti-lock Braking System helps a rider to maintain control by preventing the wheel from locking up when the brakes are slammed hard.
For two-wheelers: Always –on Headlamp or DRL
This safety norm will increase the visibility of bikes on roads. After the prescribed time the headlight of the bikes will have to stay on from the moment the bike has started. The headlamp switch will not be in the picture anymore. Though this feature will substantially reduce the life-span of headlamp bulbs but this problem can easily be sorted out by using LED headlamps or fitting a separate LED DRL (Daytime Running Light).
For Cars: Mandatory ABS
This safety feature will give the driver better control over the vehicle. ABS needs to be installed in all the cars, irrespective of whether they are base model or top-spec model. This feature will be helpful in situations when the wheels lock up on panic braking. ABS prevents the wheels from locking up, by electronically controlling the brake distribution. As a result, the wheels offer enough traction so that the car could be easily steered around the obstacle.
For Cars: Mandatory Airbags
International crash tests have shown some dismaying results and the government has taken the initiative to improve the situation. An airbag is a Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) and at least a driver airbag will be mandatory in all models of cars. Entry-level models will be having only a driver airbag. Standard models will have dual airbags (driver and front passenger) and higher-end models will have multiple airbags.
For Cars: Seat-Belt Warning System
Indian passengers have always taken the seat-belts quite casually. But, the picture is going to change now. This new mandated feature will provide seat-belt warning beep and warning light for both the driver and the front passenger seat.
For Cars: Central Locking with Manual Override
In addition to the electronic central-locking systems, all the cars will also be fitted with a manual override system. This feature will help those passengers who get trapped inside a vehicle in case of a crash or a fire.
For cars: Mandatory Reverse Parking Sensors
Earlier, Reverse parking sensors were sold as accessories but now they will be an integral part of the standard fitment list of all cars.
Speed Warning System
To tackle and control the over-speeding vehicles, all the vehicles will now be equipped with a speed-warning system. A warning beep will be emitted when the speed is above 80 KMPH. When the speed is above 120 KMPH, a continuous beep will be emitted.
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