The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a draft notification on mandating the usage of rear seat belt reminders in all passenger vehicles. The last date for public comments on the draft rules is October 5, according to the notification.
- No provision for side facing rear passengers
- Notification does not give details on penalties
Road safety in India has recently regained focus in India, especially following the tragic death of Cyrus Mistry in a car crash. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had announced that his ministry will be looking at making a seat belt warning alarm system mandatory for rear-seat passengers.
It is something we, at Autocar India, too have been pointing out for a while now that a simple rear seat belt reminder would go a long way towards instilling the habit.
What does the draft notification say?
According to the draft, amendments to the Automotive Industry standards (AIS156) include making seat belt reminders mandatory for all 'front facing rear seats' as part of the standard safety equipment in M and N category of vehicles. While Gadkari had earlier said that there will be an additional penalty imposed on not wearing a seat belt, this has not been included in the draft notification.
Earlier this year, the ministry had issued a draft notification to mandate six airbags in all passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of up to eight occupants, starting October 1, 2022.
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Hormazd Sorabjee
Sahil Kukreja
