MoRTH Proposes Mandatory AEB for All New Cars From October 2030

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed mandatory AEB for all passenger cars in India, with the draft notification setting October 1, 2030 as the start date for new models. Models already on sale get until October 1, 2032.

The draft covers the M1 category, passenger vehicles with up to eight seats besides the driver, which takes in most cars and SUVs on sale today. It is an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989.

Mandatory AEB Timeline and AIS-185 Norms

From October 1, 2028, M1 and N1 vehicles offered with the Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) must comply with AIS-185, the Automotive Industry Standard for the system. N1 covers goods vehicles with a gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes.

Fitment then becomes compulsory in two steps. Mandatory AEB applies to all new M1 models manufactured from October 1, 2030, and to every M1 model, including those already in production, from October 1, 2032.

AEBS is an ADAS feature that brakes automatically when the driver fails to respond, to avoid a collision or reduce its severity. The move supports the goal of halving road accidents and fatalities by 2030, which Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has reiterated often.

Steering, Lane-Keeping and Other Safety Norms

Steering effort on all motor vehicles must conform to AIS-193 from October 1, 2027. Motorcycles, invalid carriages and three-wheelers without a steering wheel are exempt.

Cars offered with Automatic Command Steering Functionalities (ACSF) need to meet the same standard, while those with an Emergency Lane Keeping System (ELKS), commonly known as lane keeping assist, must comply with AIS-191 (Part 1).

Both ACSF and ELKS become mandatory from October 1, 2029 on M1 vehicles registered as transport vehicles, which mainly means taxis. Drowsiness and attention-warning systems are also reported to be coming for taxis.

Commercial vehicles are further along. New truck and bus models are set to need AEBS from January 2027, along with blind-spot information, moving-off information, driver drowsiness detection and alert, and lane departure warning systems. A revised braking standard for trucks follows from October 1, 2027, together with electronic stability control (ESC).

Earlier this year, MoRTH proposed making vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems mandatory on all newly manufactured vehicles from October 1, 2028. The technology lets vehicles exchange real-time data such as speed, position and direction, and is expected to complement ADAS features such as AEB.

The draft is open for public consultation for 30 days. Once that window closes, MoRTH will weigh the objections and suggestions before finalising the mandatory AEB rules.