Govt proposes stricter seat-belt regulations to boost road safety from 2025

This typically includes seat belts, but it can also encompass other features such as airbags, seat belt pretensioners, and load limiters

The Centre’s proposed vehicle-safety regulations mandate seat-belt reminders for front-facing rear seats in passenger cars (M1 category) manufactured after April 1, 2025.

The draft rules, published on Friday, seek to ensure that passengers wear seat belts, significantly reducing the risk of injuries in the case of an accident.

These proposed safety standards are part of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, which mandate specific safety features, such as safety belts, restraint systems, and safety-belt reminders, in vehicles manufactured after specific dates.

According to the report “Road Accidents in India — 2022”, by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), released in December 2023, 16,715 people were killed in road accidents in 2022 for not wearing the seat belt. Among the casualties, 8,384 were drivers and 8,331 passengers.

Additionally, all vehicles in categories M1 (passenger cars designed to carry up to eight persons, including the driver), L7 (quadricycles designed for up to four persons), M2 (buses carrying more than eight persons with a maximum mass of 3.5 tonnes), M3 (buses carrying more than eight persons with a mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes), and N (goods-carrying vehicles with a maximum mass of over 3.5 tonnes) manufactured after April 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026, will be required to have improved restraint systems and safety-belt assemblies that comply with specific standards.

After the implementation of the Central Motor Vehicles (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2024, all vehicles will be required to have safety-belt assemblies and anchorages that comply with IS 15140:2018 and IS 15139:2002. The installation of safety belts and restraint systems in all vehicles will also need to adhere to the IS 16694:2018 (“IS” stands for “Indian Standards”, laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards).

The restraint system refers to safety mechanisms in a vehicle designed to protect occupants during a collision by restraining their movement.

This typically includes seat belts, but it can encompass other features such as airbags, seat belt pretensioners, and load limiters.

 

Buckle up
 

Implementation timeline: New safety regulations to be enforced on vehicles manufactured after April 1, 2025
 

Goal: Enhance road safety by ensuring all passengers wear seat belts, reducing injury risks in collisions

Restraint system: Safety mechanisms, including seat belts, airbags, and pretensioners, designed to protect occupants during collisions
 

Affected vehicle categories: Rules mandate proper restraint systems in all categories of vehicles — M1 (passenger cars), L7 (quadricycles), M2, M3 (buses), and N (goods vehicles)

Background: Over 16,700 deaths took place in 2022 for not wearing seat belts, highlighting the importance of this regulation