Active And Passive Safety

As India grapples with high road accident rates and gears up to meet global safety benchmarks, Commercial Vehicle (CV) safety has come under sharper focus.

-  Ashish Bhatia.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) is spearheading regulatory change, mandating both active and passive safety inclusions. With sweeping reforms such as mandatory ADAS systems up to Level 2, advanced telematics integration, and policy-backed incentives, OEMs are responding proactively. Backed by tier 1 suppliers and influenced by global partnerships, India is playing its part in the safety evolution of commercial transport.

REGULATORY CATALYST AS THE DRIVER OF CHANGE

The policy push from MoRTH is driving the acceleration toward safer commercial vehicles in India. The mandatory fitment of AIS-140 compliant telematics systems has revolutionised fleet monitoring. All passenger-carrying commercial vehicles are now expected to be equipped with GPS, IRNSS tracking, and systems capable of real-time data transmission. These technologies allow authorities and fleet operators to monitor route adherence, speed violations, and accident-related metric in real time. More importantly, the embedded functionalities support fleet-wide analytic, including fatigue monitoring, geofencing, and preemptive alerts.

MoRTH has also mandated six-point seat belts, Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS), and Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) across all new heavy commercial vehicles from June 2025 onward. This has initiated significant changes in OEM design and production processes, prompting them to re-engineer cabin layouts, integrate smarter dashboards, and ensure crash-safe door and seat architectures. These mandates have catalysed a mindset shift in the Indian CV ecosystem. From basic compliance to safety-led innovation.

ADAS INTEGRATION