Representational photo
NEW DELHI: All new models of trucks and buses, including school buses, will need to have Advanced Driver Alert System (ADAS), which includes automatic emergency braking, driver drowsiness alert and lane departure warning systems from October 2027. Similarly, the existing models of trucks and buses manufactured from January 2028 onwards must have these safety features.TOI has learnt that road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the timeline and this will be notified in the next one week.The ministry has gone for comprehensive changes in Central Motor Vehicles Rules for mandatory introduction of these safety features in its bid to prevent accidents by alerting drivers and automatic application of brakes in case of delay in action.The ministry has specified that both mini and regular buses, and trucks manufactured after the specified timeline will need to be fitted with vehicle stability function and automatic emergency braking system (AEBS), which will automatically detect a potential forward collision in the same lane and activate braking systems to avoid crashes.The AEBS, after detecting any potential forward collision, will warn the driver and it will activate the vehicle braking system to de-accelerate to avoid or mitigate the severity of a collision, if the driver does not respond quickly to the warning. The mandatory feature of driver drowsiness alert in these vehicles is also crucial as this safety feature will alert the drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. The system will alert the driver using visual, auditory, or haptic (sense of touch) feedback to prompt corrective action.Similarly, the drowsiness alert system will assess the driver’s alertness through vehicle systems analysis and will warn the driver if needed through audio alerts.