Every Motorcycle In India Should Have Safety Devices: 8 Changes To Central Motor Vehicles Rules

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued the Central Motor Vehicles (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2020 to make amends to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

The revisions will make safety devices in motorcycles mandatory and will come into force from April 2021.

Read on to find out more…

What Rules Do the Manufacturers Have to Follow?

As per the new rules, the manufacturer should provide 

1. handholds for pillion on the side of the motorcycle or behind the driver seat in compliance with the requirement specified in IS: 14495-1998;
2. footrests for the pillion rider should be on both sides of the motorcycle;
3. a device covering not less than half portion of the rear left wheel of the motorcycle so as to prevent and  the clothes of the person sitting on the pillion getting entangled in the rear wheel and protecting the rider and pillion;
4. windscreen and window glass of motorcycles should be made of safety glass or safety glazing material and should have its face to the front;
5. safety glass or safety glazing of the windscreen and rear window of every motor vehicle should provide not less than 70% visual transmission of light. The safety glass or safety glazing should provide at least 50% visual transmission of light.

Some Other Modifications  in the Rules!

Motorcycles fitted with a light-weight container shall meet the following requirements: 

• the dimensions of the container shall not exceed 550 mm in length, 510 mm in width and 500 mm in height; 
• weight of the container including its mounting and load carried therein shall not exceed 30 kgs.; 
• if the container is fitted on the pillion rider space, no pillion rider shall be allowed, provided that the weight of container including its mounting and load.

As per the directive, motorcycles manufactured on and from January 1, 2022, shall conform to  requirements specified in AIS 146:2018 until the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 (11 of 2016).

On the other hand, cars with tubeless tyres will be allowed to operate if they don’t have spare tyres provided they have a tyre repair kit (tubeless tyres) and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

The TPMS installed in vehicles will have to comply with the rules from October 1 and shall comply with AIS – 154; as amended from time to time, till the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.