Ministry mulling mandatory airbags in four-wheelers

Driving on Indian roads may become safer with the government considering a proposal to make airbags mandatory in all commercial as well private four-wheelers.

The ministry of textiles has sent a proposal to this effect to the Planning Commission which will now hold discussions on this with other government agencies including the concerned ministry of road transport and highways.

The textile ministry has made this suggestion following the recommendations of an Expert Committee on Technical Textiles (airbags are made of nylon industrial yarn) has recommended this move in order to provide a boost to the consumption of such textiles.

The committee has said that air bag use also enhances driver safety. The United States, Japan, Europe and Australia have made use of airbags compulsory. According to the textile ministry, use of airbags brings down chest injuries during accidents by 65 per cent and serious head injuries by75 per cent.

An official inthe ministry of road transport and highways said the airbag proposal could be considered as safety is of prime importance. If implemented, the mandatory usage of airbags would be the second major step, after seat belts were made compulsory for both driver and co-passengers a few years back.

Moreover, with the road transport ministry also working on amending the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, where they are considering the proposal of notifying speed limit for light motor vehicles (cars), usage of air bags, if made compulsory, would be a major step towards strengthening safet ystandards for road users.

However, airbags would raise vehicle prices. "Fitting airbags in a cars will certainly bring down accidents, but at the same time it may make cars expensive,"said Dilip Chenoy, Director General, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Many entry level cars in the country at the moment would need to be redesigned to integrate airbags Automotive Research Association of India's deputydirector S M Haragapurkar said.