India Readies Revamped Vehicle Safety Rules

India's central government is preparing new laws to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, notes Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi hasn't offered details about the requirements contained in the upcoming Road Transport and Safety bill. But the measure will create the government's first central safety office. It also is expected to require carmakers to improve the structural integrity of their vehicles and phase in safety features such as airbags that are standard in more developed markets.

India's existing vehicle safety standards have been updated only twice since they were introduced in 1914. The country accounts for more than 231,000 roadway fatalities per year, making it the world's most dangerous place for drivers and pedestrians, according to the World Health Organization.

Critics say the safety bill will be a mild version of the original legislation written in March. They expect weaker penalties for speeding, drunk driving and vehicular homicide and only token steps to improve the country's haphazard road infrastructure.

Safety advocates note that tougher standards face strong challenges from transport groups and those who worry such measures could hurt India's economic development.