NEW DELHI: Aiming to prevent fires caused by rear-end collisions, all new cars manufactured from April 2029 will have to comply with a crash-test standard that ensures no fuel spillage or damage to the battery in petrol/diesel and electric vehicles, respectively. The road transport ministry has made compliance with this automotive industry standard mandatory.“To meet the norm, cars will have to be designed and manufactured in a way that prevents damage to the fuel tank or battery in a rear-end collision,” an official said.The ministry has also set mandatory timelines for automakers to comply with other Automotive Industry Standards (AIS), covering occupant protection in offset frontal and lateral collisions, protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users, and fitment of immobilisers. The requirements will come into effect from April 2027 onwards.In a notification, the ministry has also made AIS-192 mandatory for Event Data Recorders (EDRs) installed in cars from October 2029. EDRs remain optional but record crash-related data to help establish what happened immediately before and during a collision. Their function is similar to that of an aircraft’s flight-data recorder, or black box.
“The rollout will be phased, as the data can help assess driving behaviour and identify corrective measures to prevent future crashes,” the official said.He added that mandatory fitment of immobilisers in cars from October 2027 would be crucial to preventing vehicle theft. An immobiliser is an electronic anti-theft device that prevents an engine from starting unless it detects the correct key or an authorised electronic signal.