Indian govt planning to make rear seat belt alarm mandatory: Nitin Gadkari on road safety

After the unfortunate death of Cyrus Mistry in a road accident, the government is looking for road safety measures to prevent road accidents. Government is planning to make it mandatory for automakers to introduce a seat belt alarm system for rear seats also, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari stated today. Presently, it is mandatory for all vehicle manufacturers to provide seat belt reminders only for front-seat passengers. "Because of the death of Cyrus Mistry in a car accident, we have taken a decision that there will be a seat belt beep system for the rear seats also in vehicles," he said while addressing a Business Standard programme to celebrate India@75.

Fine for not wearing seat belt in rear seats

Not wearing a seat belt by passengers sitting in the rear seats attracts a fine of Rs 1,000 under Rule 138 (3) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), most people are either unaware of this mandatory rule or just ignore them. Even traffic policemen seldom fine passengers sitting on rear seats for not wearing seat belts. According to a recent road ministry report, the number of persons killed and injured due to not wearing a seat belt during 2020 stood at 15,146 and 39,102, respectively.

Challan for two-wheeler pillion riders 

Fines can be imposed on two-wheeler riders who wear helmets improperly. The helmet should be properly worn and its strap also needs to be tied. If the helmet is untied then the rider will have to bear the fine of Rs 1,000. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), all helmets must have an ISI mark. Wearing and selling helmets without an ISI mark is a legal offense. A transparent cover for the eyes should be used in the helmet. It is also very important for the helmet to have a BIS certificate. 

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a road accident on Sunday after his car hit a divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district. The government has been relentlessly working on making some precautionary measures mandatory to avoid any further mishaps.

(With inputs from PTI)