On the right road: Airbags for rear passengers are best achieved via competitive pressure put on carmakers by customers

Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari this week said GOI has put off its plan to mandate six airbags in vehicles with a capacity of up to eight passengers from October 1 because the auto industry didn’t have an unanimous view on the subject. Frontal airbags have been compulsory for new vehicles since 2021. The debate over vehicle safety is important because road accidents are globally the leading cause of deaths for people in the 15-49 age group. In India, the toll is high. In 2021, there were 1.54 lakh fatalities, or 18 deaths every hour.

Data from the US indicates that frontal and side airbags can save 34% and 31% of lives, respectively. The case for providing new vehicles with side airbags is supported by data. Highways in India, national and state, constitute about 5% of the road length. But they account for 51% of fatalities because of the momentum of impact. Despite a compelling case for side airbags, there’s no reason to be disappointed by GOI’s decision on it. This is because GOI made a wise decision to enable a process by which customers force auto firms to upgrade safety features.

Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) is a tool developed in collaboration with global partners to provide Indian car buyers with a measure to assess comparative safety standards. Right now, it’s a voluntary programme that allows manufacturers to test safety features and have them measured in line with international norms. Once a vehicle takes the test, it gets rated on its performance, which is then in the public domain. Some manufacturers have opted for Bharat NCAP, creating competitive pressure on others to follow suit. A regulatory regime that uses competition to nudge auto firms to enhance safety standards is the best way forward.

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