Automakers to be penalized for unsafe cars

The Government of India is currently working on a new Road Safety Bill, according to which, automotive manufacturers might face huge fines if they are found guilty of developing and producing unsafe cars. According to this new Bill, if a car fails to pass safety crash tests, the automaker will be exposed to a fine of Rs. 100 crores. Moreover, the company would need to compulsorily recall a vehicle in case a fault is recognized. These new rules are just a part of proposed recommendations for the new Road Safety Bill, while a final recommendations draft will be ready by the end of this month.

In addition to the above fine on the manufacturer, a penalty of Rs. 1 lakh can be imposed on the dealers and body workers in case of a defect in the car, or for adding unauthorized parts and accessories. Meanwhile, auto-component sellers can also face a fine of Rs. 1 lakh for selling unapproved safety equipment. Car owners won’t be spared either, as they might need to shell out Rs. 5,000 for using unauthorized components like fog lights, pressure horns, extra/auxiliary lights, roof-top carriers and metallic bumper protectors.

These recommendations have been made by a panel of state transport ministers, which was put in place by the Central Government to draft the final Road Safety Bill. This panel, headed by Rajathan's state transport minister Yunoos Khan, has also proposed stricter penalties and punishments for crimes like drunk driving, minor driving, exceeding speed limits, and usage of phone while driving.

With more than 1.5-lakh fatalities caused due to road accidents every year, the Government of India is expecting the new Road Safety Bill to make travelling in India a lot safer.

Source: ET Auto