Airbags all around for all new cars in SA – but what does that mean for your car?

If you read the headlines re the airbag rules for new cars in SA, you may have panicked and pictured yourself retrofitting side airbags to your six-year-old hatchback. But you can relax. The gazetted draft specifications only apply to new passenger cars entering the SA market, not cars already registered and out on the road.

So if your trusty sedan only has front airbags, it won't automatically be unroadworthy when the new rules kick in.

In any event, retrofitting complex airbag systems would be far too complicated and costly. Airbags form part of a functionally integrated safety system that involves sensors, seatbelts, control modules and the car's actual structure.

The point is, the new rules are less about retroactive fixes and more to do with raising the minimum safety standard for all cars sold in future.

The gazetted draft does go into a bit more detail than simply saying 'fit more airbags.' It proposes that new sedans have airbags to protect all passengers and not just the driver and front passenger.

It also proposes stronger side-impact protection. The AA has been pushing for better side and 'curtain' protection for years, particularly in entry-level cars where safety features are often pared back to keep prices down.

'Curtain'-what? you may ask. These are bags that deploy from the roof above your side windows and drop down like a curtain along the side of the car's cabin. They protect the head and upper body in a side-impact crash and, in some designs, during a rollover. They're different to front airbags (designed to protect you in a frontal crash) and side airbags (built into the seat or door area to protect the pelvis and torso).

That's important because a curtain airbag can protect more than one passenger position. So it's not really about whether a five-seater car needs five separate airbags. It's about whether everyone in the car has enough protection when things go wrong.

And in addition to those airbag standards, the same draft proposal raises the bar on Electronic Stability Control (ESC), the system that automatically kicks in to help a driver keep control if the car starts to skid. All good things, of course, but what are the implications?

We South Africans, tough as we may be, are already battling with the cost of new cars, and entry-level models are where every cent makes a huge difference.

The extra airbags, sensors, control systems and engineering needed to meet stricter crash standards all come at a cost. Stats SA has already flagged that safety features like side curtain airbags can push up manufacturing prices.  And the AA advocates strongly for better safety in entry-level cars, where cost pressures often lead to safety features being left out.

But it's fairly obvious that it's going to impact people's purchasing decisions: safer cars are an absolute good given our accident stats, but if the cheapest new cars become even less affordable, we may simply stick with older cars for longer – and that may not be ideal from a safety point of view.

SA's motor industry is heavily geared for exports. In fact, more than 70% of locally made light vehicles were exported in 2025, with many making their way to markets that already insist on stricter safety standards. This means that some locally built models are already engineered to meet more exacting international benchmarks.

But local models and entry-level versions may still need additional changes. On top of this, suppliers could face higher component costs, plus there are homologation expenses – that's just a fancy term or the cost of getting a car tested, approved and certified so it can legally be sold in a particular country.

All of this is important for the automotive industry, because it's one of SA's largest, and contributes massively to exports, employment and industrial output.

There's always a pretty lengthy time lag between the government gazetting of new regulations and their application. The draft was first published in July 2026 for public comment, and closed after a two-month consultation period. It still needs to be finalised before it becomes law, but the adoption date is set for 1 February 2029. The exact date when the new rules will start to apply has not yet been confirmed.

Thankfully, this gives manufacturers some time to adapt, and consumers time to understand what's really going to change.

If your less-than-new car is still legally roadworthy, the fact that it has fewer airbags than a future vehicle standard would not, by itself, make it uninsurable or lead to a claim being denied. A rule for future vehicle production does not retrospectively rewrite the rule of every older car already on the road.

On top of that, comprehensive car insurance typically covers damage to your insured vehicle and the third party's damage. But injury to passengers is generally dealt with separately, including through the Road Accident Fund, if negligence and bodily injury are involved.

So, five years from now, if someone sitting in the back of an older car is injured in an accident, the question wouldn't really be: Did this car have the latest airbag setup?
The more important question would be whether the car was legally roadworthy, who or what caused the accident, what cover applies, and what the specific policy and liability wording is.

That said, insurers will likely adjust the underwriting, repair-costs or policy wording as newer safety standards come into force. More airbags and sensors may make cars safer, but they can also make accident repairs more complex and costly.

Our approach is practical and simple. If your current car is legal and roadworthy, you won't suddenly need to redesign it based on future regulations.

But the proposed rule is still worth paying attention to. Because when you buy your next car, safety specs may matter just as much as fuel efficiency, monthly premiums and what infotainment system you decide to install. Safer, we believe, is always better.