In an interview, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government will soon strictly enforce seatbelt usage for passengers in the rear seats of cars. Rear seat belt reminders (SBRs) will also be made mandatory for all cars. The proposal comes after the tragic death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a car accident. In the initial reports, it was found that he was not wearing a seat belt in the rear, which led to the businessman’s death.
It may be harder for traffic police to enforce the usage of rear seatbelts as it is difficult to spot unrestrained rear passengers, and probably we all know the trick of bypassing the SBR alarm. Currently, only front seat belt reminders are offered as standard and they continuously produce an alert sound if you are running at a speed of 20kmph or above and not wearing the seatbelt.
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The govt is also expected to make the three-point seat belts a standard fitment for all the front-facing passenger seats soon. Currently, most of the rear middle seat comes with just a lap belt. The ministry also has plans to make 6 airbags as standard for all cars that can carry up to 8 passengers. While it seems a big step in improving safety, there are a lot of challenges for carmakers as it will require some serious engineering changes that will significantly affect vehicle prices.
In addition to enforcing safety rules through technology and regulations, the government also needs to promote traffic awareness and curb corruption in the transportation sector.
