Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 23: India has proposed mandatory event data recorders in vehicles from October 2029. Advanced emergency braking for passenger cars would follow from 2030. The aim is safer roads and fewer deaths.
India’s road transport ministry has proposed making event data recorders mandatory in vehicles. The requirement would apply from October 1, 2029. An event data recorder, or EDR, works much like an aircraft’s black box. It captures technical and safety data before, during and after a collision.
Such data can help investigators understand how and why a crash occurred. It may also inform future improvements in vehicle design and safety rules. The proposal is part of a wider push to tighten automotive safety standards.
The push comes against a grim backdrop on India’s roads. Road accident deaths rose 2.3% in 2024 to more than 177,000. That works out to roughly 485 lives lost every day.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also proposed mandatory Advanced Emergency Braking Systems. AEBS is designed to detect an imminent collision and brake automatically if needed. The rule would cover M1-category vehicles, which are mainly passenger cars. M1 vehicles have seating for no more than nine people.
Implementation would happen in two stages. New M1 models made from October 1, 2030, would need AEBS first. From October 1, 2032, the rule would extend to all M1 models. The systems must meet Automotive Industry Standard AIS-185. AIS-185 sets the technical benchmark these braking systems must satisfy.
There is also an earlier, conditional requirement under the draft rules. From October 1, 2028, M1 and N1 vehicles fitted with AEBS must comply with AIS-185. N1 vehicles are light goods vehicles, such as small delivery vans. This means AEBS stays optional until 2030, but must meet the standard if offered.
These changes would be made through amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The draft rules were notified on Thursday. As drafts, the EDR and AEBS proposals are not yet final.
Alongside these proposals, the ministry has already mandated several other measures. In a recent notification, it made immobilisers compulsory for M1 vehicles. An immobiliser prevents a car from starting without the correct key. It is intended to curb vehicle theft.
The ministry has also mandated changes to vehicle foot controls. These cover how pedals are arranged and how they operate. The rules apply to new models manufactured on or after April 1, 2028. They aim to align with international safety norms and support growing electric vehicle demand.
Pedestrian safety is also being addressed. From October 1, 2032, testing with the Flexible Pedestrian Leg Impact tool becomes mandatory. The FlexPLI tool simulates a human leg striking a vehicle’s front. It helps measure injury risk to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
For carmakers, the changes signal significant engineering and compliance work ahead. The staggered timelines give manufacturers time to adapt their designs. Advanced braking and data recording add new layers of electronic safety.
Technology alone cannot guarantee fewer road deaths. Still, the measures aim to make vehicles safer and accidents easier to understand. Their final shape will depend on how the draft rules are finalised.
