Rear view sensor in cars to be mandatory soon

This move is aimed at reducing the risk to small children and pedestrians from reversing or rolling back motor vehicles

In yet another step towards road safety, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways would soon make it mandatory for all new vehicles to have a rear view sensor or backup camera.

The move is aimed at reducing the risk to small children and pedestrians from reversing or rolling back motor vehicles, Abhay Damle, joint secretary, road ministry said at an industry meet here.

Damle said, overspeeding caused around 50,000 fatal accidents a year in the country and, therefore, the central government was planning to make audible speed warnings mandatory in vehicles.

Apart from rear view sensors and speed warnings, airbags are also likely to become mandatory.

For two-wheelers, which account for the highest share of accidents in the country, the government has made it compulsory to either have an anti-lock braking system (ABS) or a combined braking system (CBS) by April 2019.

The move comes in the wake of five Indian cars failing crash tests conducted by UK-based vehicle safety assessor Global NCAP. In May, five Indian cars — Renault  Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Celerio and Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon — failed crash tests mainly because the tested models  lacked airbags.

The government has also planned providing protection to those who help accident victims. “The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which will be introduced in the coming winter session of Parliament, has made provisions for legal protection of good samaritans who help accident victims. The government has added a significant clause under which a good samaritan’s affidavit will have the legal force of a statement,” Damle said.