Compulsory `baby seats' in cars and covered trucks will finally touch down on India's highway network, with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway

TWO key moves that could make Indian roads safer by notches are set to be implemented in 2010. Compulsory "baby eats" in cars and covered rucks will finally touch down n India's expanding highway network, with the Ministry of road Transport & Highways ready to notify the two new rules next year. At present, both proposals are awaiting the Law Ministry's nod.

Moving to radically change he way India's three million plus trucks ply, the government plans to make it mandatory for all trucks to have closed cargo sections with overs at the top and in the ear. The truck driver's cabin too will have to meet certain standards like adequate seating space and controlled cabin temperature, never exceeding 35 degrees Celsius.

The truck body code suggests green tinted windscreen, slide windows, blowers, ventilation points and lining the whole cabin area with heat insulating material for the driver's comfort. No part of the vehicle's fixed component should intrude into the driver's work area -- this will ensure minimal injury in case of accidents.

While the cargo section will be a closed unit, no mountable carrier will be permitted above it. Once the truck body code is notified, all new trucks manufactured in India will have to follow these rules and the existing ones will be given a year's time to upgrade. And when truck covers become a must, the ministry hopes to end the practice of overloading.

"The idea to is to make Indian roads safer and also make trucks safer vehicles.

Maximum road accidents are said to be caused by heavy goods vehicles, mostly trucks.

We have formulated a truck body code as per which all trucks will have standard dimensions and the cargo section will have to be a closed unit, all covered up, as is the norm in most developed countries. This will ensure goods don't spill on to the road in case of an accident.

The severity of accident will also be lessened. Truck specifications will be such that in the event of an accident, minimal damage is caused," said a senior Ministry official. That apart, India will finally take one more crucial step to road safety by mandating the installation of "Child Restraint Systems" (CRS) across all power drive four-wheelers from passenger cars to passenger buses. The idea is to create a safe and designated space for children in cars.

Across Europe and the US, besides other countries like Australia,CRS is mandatory in all vehicles. The planned implementation schedule is two years for new car models and three years for existing models.

The Central Motor Vehicle Rules-Technical Standing Committee has already formulated automotive industry standards in order to make CRS compulsory -- the next big step after making seat belts
compulsory in cars.