Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday urged car manufacturers to provide six airbags, including for rear seat passengers, in all variants irrespective of their cost and class. He also asked the manufacturers to roll out flex-fuel vehicles that can run on both 100% ethanol and gasoline in the next one year.

 Currently, only two airbags are mandatory for the driver and the passenger in the front seat in India across all models, including the most economical ones. There has been no study in India so far on how many people in rear seats of cars have got killed in road crashes.

Airbags reduce the chances of upper body or head striking the vehicle’s interior during crashes. The passengers need to wear seatbelts to avoid an air-bag-related injury as airbags are designed to work with seat belts and not replace them. India has the mandatory rear-seat belt law, though there is hardly any compliance.

Sources said the minister also asked the Siam and CEOs of automobile companies to step up the manufacturing of flex-fuel engines to reduce dependence on imported crude oil and to boost rural economy. The Siam has sought time till 2027 to roll out such engines and has also sought the roadmap for alternate fuel availability to push the adoption of such vehicles.