The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on 15th January 2022, has decided to enhance safety features by amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989. The Central Motor Vehicles (Draft Amendment) Rules, 2022 been issued which mandates that vehicles of category M1, manufactured after 1st October 2022, shall be fitted with two side/side torso air bags, one each for the persons occupying front row outboard seating positions, and two side curtain/tube air bags, one each for the persons occupying outboard seating positions
Side/side torso air bag” means any inflatable occupant restraint device that is mounted to the seats or side structure of the vehicle interior, and that is designed to deploy in a side impact crash to help mitigate primarily torso injury and/or occupant ejection, for the persons occupying front row outboard seating positions.
“Side curtain/tube air bag” means any inflatable occupant restraint device that is mounted to the side structure of the vehicle interior, and that is designed to deploy in a side impact crash or rollover to help mitigate primarily head injury and/or occupant ejection for the persons occupying the outboard seating positions.