Air bags made mandatory for front seat car passengers

From April 1, it is mandatory for all new car models to have airbags for front-seat passengers, and all existing models should be fitted with airbags from August 31 this year, the government said on Friday in a bid to boost passengers' safety.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport said this is a mandatory provision irrespective of the cars' class.

This safety feature is based on suggestions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

At present, the driver seat has an airbag, but the seat next to it doesn't.

"Only one airbag for the driver is not sufficient as it leaves the co-passenger in the front seat vulnerable to serious injury, or even death in the event of an accident," said an official in the Ministry.