The Indian government is to soon make rearview sensors or back-up cameras mandatory on all new vehicles. This safety measure is to reduce the risk to pedestrians from accidents while reversing vehicles.

“Although most cars come equipped with rearview mirrors which are adequate for detecting vehicles behind a car, but they are inadequate for detecting small children or objects close to the ground, which fall in the car's blindspot. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will soon issue a notification to make rearview sensors mandatory in all vehicles,” said Abhay Damle, joint secretary, MoRTH, while speaking at a curtain raiser for the World Roads Meet (WRM 2017) organised by the International Road Federation (IRF) in Chennai recently.

Damle said the government is also planning to make speed warning audio beeps mandatory, on similar lines of ‘seatbelt not on’ warning.  “The government has already made it compulsory for all two-wheelers, which account for the highest share of accidents in the country, to either have the anti-lock braking system (ABS) or the combined braking system (CBS) by April 2019. Apart from rearview sensors and speed warning, airbags will also become mandatory in all vehicles soon.

From October 1, 2018, all vehicles will have to go in for automated inspection and fitness certification tests with hardly any human intervention. Similarly, the driving license test will also become automated by that time. This will help in reducing fatal road accidents,” said Damle. Over-speeding, intoxication and neglecting of traffic rules are among the primary causes of most road fatalities in the country and most highway related deaths are due to rash driving.

“In The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which will be introduced in the coming winter session of the parliament, there are provisions for the 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. If a statement is required, it should be recorded in a single examination. And, for further information, the judicial or law officer will have to go to his house and record the statement,“ said Damle. India to host World Road Meeting in November 2017.

Meanwhile, India will host, for the first time, the International Road Federation’s four-day World Road Meeting (WRM 2017) from November 14-17, 2017. About 3,000 road safety, infrastructure and transport experts from across the world will take part in the World Roads Meet. The major highlight of WRM 2017 will be a summit of transport ministers from various countries. The theme of the WRM, which is being organised by International Road Federation, is ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth’, said KK Kapila, chairman, International Road Federation.