The failure of crash test by the popular cars in India like Maruti Swift, Alto 800, the Hyundai i10, the Ford Figo, the Volkswagen Polo, Datsun Go and the Tata Nano has been ruling the headlines of all major newspapers in India for the last one week.
The media spree has opened the eyes of the Government, and it is being reported that they are planning to make air bags mandatory for all cars from 2015.
The new decision from the Government is a major setback for car companies who usually compromises security features for reducing the rates.
This new move is expected to increase the rate of entry level cars by 30, 000 INR – 35, 000 INR from October 2015.
Apart from air bags, other basic security systems like, anti-lock braking system (ABS), seat belt reminders, reinforced body structures and child restraint systems are also compulsory from next year.
“India’s first vehicle safety standard, the India New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), based on the widely accepted United Nations NCAP, will be notified early next year”, said Vijay Chhibber, Road transport and highways secretary.
In the meantime, the Government of India is planning to set up India’s first vehicle safety standard, and it is named, ‘India New Car Assessment Program’.
The program will be responsible for checking and implementing safety standards by the car manufacturers.
Government of India should implement these rules in the strictest manner, and these middle ranged cars are widely being used by the common men in India.