The changes are contained in draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The notification also updates technical requirements for retro-reflective tapes, rear marking plates, reflectors and lighting equipment across several vehicle categories.
Under the draft, the Automatic Headlamp On system fitted to two-wheelers would be required to activate only the passing beam from April 2028. The present rules require two-wheelers manufactured from April 1, 2017, to have headlamps that switch on automatically when the engine is running, but the beam selected can depend on the vehicle’s setting.
The proposed revision is intended to prevent automatic operation from leaving a motorcycle or scooter on a driving beam that can dazzle oncoming traffic. Automotive standards define a passing beam as one designed to illuminate the road ahead without causing undue dazzle or discomfort to other road users.
The ministry is also moving to curb excessively powerful headlamps across vehicle categories. Proposed technical limits reported alongside the rule changes would reduce the maximum permissible luminous intensity for two-wheelers to 100,000 candela from 150,000 candela, while the ceiling for four-wheelers would fall to 150,000 candela from 225,000 candela.
A maximum colour temperature of 6,500 Kelvin has also been proposed for headlamps and front fog lamps. Higher colour-temperature white light can produce greater perceived glare, particularly at night, and may temporarily reduce the ability of approaching motorists to distinguish road edges, pedestrians or other hazards.
The draft separately strengthens visibility requirements for buses and heavy vehicles through updated retro-reflective standards. Type II and Type III buses in the M3 category would need rear retro-reflective contour markings complying with prescribed installation standards, while the tapes and markings themselves would have to meet the performance requirements of AIS-200:2025.
Other vehicle categories covered by the rules would also have to use retro-reflective tapes, reflectors and rear marking plates conforming to the updated Automotive Industry Standards from April 1, 2028. The move is designed to ensure that markings used on commercial and specialised vehicles meet recognised performance specifications rather than relying on material that may provide inadequate reflection.
Rear marking plates specified under Rule 104-D would have to conform to AIS-200:2025. The draft extends updated reflector requirements to construction equipment vehicles, combine harvesters, agricultural tractors and modular hydraulic trailers, while also revising provisions governing lamps and registration-plate illumination.
The lighting package also standardises how safety devices are installed, not merely their material quality. For buses, the rear contour marking must satisfy dimensional and installation requirements under AIS 008:2025, while other listed vehicle models will follow AIS 008 or AIS 009 installation provisions as applicable. The ministry’s approach links the Central Motor Vehicles Rules directly to updated Automotive Industry Standards, allowing those standards to be amended over time without rewriting every dimensional requirement in the rulebook. This would give manufacturers a defined compliance framework before the 2028 deadline.
The proposed amendments would replace some older prescriptive visibility measurements in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules with references to newer technical standards. Requirements referring to fixed viewing distances and minimum reflecting areas are among the provisions proposed for deletion or revision as the regulatory framework shifts towards performance-based specifications.
The ministry published the draft under powers granted by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and invited objections or suggestions from people likely to be affected. Feedback can be sent to the Additional Secretary responsible for motor vehicles, transport and road safety within 30 days of the notification being made available to the public.
