A fresh notification issued from the Central Government's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways makes it mandatory for all new cars to have ABS from April 2019. To ensure that the regulation is successfully implemented, the ministry has also instructed automakers to make ABS as standard on all new models which are launched after April 2018. It is important to note that the above mentioned deadlines are not applicable to vehicles which are sold before the mentioned period.
The ABS system prevents wheels from locking up during emergency braking conditions. Global studies indicates that ABS system can reduce the risk of crashes by over 20 per cent on an average. Introducing ABS in cars will not be a major cost to automakers and will set back by only by a few thousand rupees. Currently, automakers like Maruti Suzuki have been offering ABS as standard along with dual airbags in cars sold via its premium Nexa dealerships.
Most automakers in the country have also started offering airbag as option right from base variant onwards. Along with offering maximum control at braking, the technology allows the driver to steer away without much effort. On the pricing aspect, we believe cars with ABS might be cost an additional Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. The automakers might also soon start offering airbags along with ABS as standard.
