Mumbai Police has said that wearing seat belts for all car passengers will be compulsory in the metropolis from November 1. The police said action will be taken against violators under Section 194(B) (1) of the Indian Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, which says that any person driving a vehicle without a safety seat belt or is carrying unbelted passengers shall be punished.
Additionally, the city police instructed vehicle owners to install rear seat belts in case they are missing in their cars by November 1.
The tragic death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in September has raised public awareness about the use of rear seat belts. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had previously asked online retailers like Amazon and Flipkart to stop selling seat belt alarm blockers in India. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft notification mandating rear seat belt reminders in all vehicles. In light of the increasing focus on rear passenger safety, ride-hailing service Uber directed their drivers to ensure rear seat belts in all their vehicles are functional.
At Autocar India, we have always encouraged wearing seat belts, and to inculcate this life-saving habit, all you have to do is follow these simple steps.
Hormazd Sorabjee
Anurag Chaturvedi
