Rear parking sensors to be made mandatory in India

This move has been made to reduce risk to children and pedestrians from reversing vehicles

With India ranking high in death rate by road accidents, the Indian Government is starting to tackle the issue of road safety with a more aggressive approach. The government has already announced Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) or Combined Braking System (CBS) to be made mandatory for all two-wheelers by April 2019 and now they also plan to make rear parking sensors compulsory in all cars. This move comes with an aim of reducing risk to children and pedestrians.

“Although most cars come equipped with rear view mirrors which are adequate for detecting vehicles behind a car, but they are inadequate on for detecting small children or objects close to the ground, which fall in the car's blind spot. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will soon issue a notification to make rear view sensors mandatory in all vehicles.” said Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Aside from making parking sensors mandatory, Damle also spoke about making speed warning and airbags mandatory in all cars soon. The government also intends to put all vehicles through an automated inspection and fitness certification test which will be performed without any human intervention, starting 1^st October 2018. Driving license test to also become automated by the said date.

“In The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which will be introduced in the coming winter session of the parliament has made provisions for legal protection of good samaritans who help accident victims.  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”, Damle added.

This announcement came at the curtain raiser for the upcoming World Roads Meet (WRM 2017) which has been scheduled from November 14-17, 2017. This is the first time India will play host to a WRM summit. More than 3000 road safety, infrastructure and transport expert from across the globe will take part in the World Roads Meet. The theme for this WRM will be ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility : The Engines of Economic Growth’.