Maruti Survey: Only 25% of drivers use seatbelts

[Chetan_Rao]

Another popular mindset: 'I've put on my belt, others in the car can do as they please'.

Any unsecured item in the cabin - including the stubborn passenger who feels immortal - can be a deadly projectile depending on circumstances.

So please don't stop at buckling in yourself, insist the others do it too.

[famousshoes]

Originally Posted by jasjotbains

Point noted. I was involved in a similar crash when the Cruze a friend was driving skidded and crashed into a tree. Our friend at the back sadly passed away due to internal injuries. He was not buckled up. We in the front were buckled up; we got a few scratches and concussions.
n.

heck, sorry to hear that mate.

Here's an explanation of how pre-tensioners work , from howstuffworks.com
The pretensioner mechanism uses an explosive charge to drive a concealed piston when sensors detect the signature abrupt deceleration of an accident. The piston, in turn, rapidly drives the spool around which the fabric strap of a seatbelt is wrapped. That incredibly fast retraction of the belt fabric removes the slack from the belt instantly. This extra seatbelt "pre-" tension, moments prior to the full force of impact, pulls the bodies of the driver and front-seat passenger firmly into their seats. This positions them so as to receive the maximum protection benefit of the front airbags. It also helps prevent the unfortunate phenomenon car crash-ologists call "submarining." That's when the momentum caused by the crash jerks a victim's body under his or her lap belt and sends it careening forward below the dash.

Cars and light trucks aren't the only place in which the use of seatbelt pretensioners has clicked. One of the earliest ancestors of modern, automotive pretensioner systems was one proposed for military aircraft pilots in the 1950s. In 1958, inventor Royce Strickland, Jr., submitted a patent application for a contraption he called a "harness inertia reel." It was an explosive gas-driven device that cinched pilots into their ejection seats before they were blown out of an airplane [source: Strickland]

Also, heres a slow motion video of pre tensioners at work

https://youtu.be/6phdJWRi_vw

[sandx]

Originally Posted by amitjha086

My wife is not reluctant to seatbelts but every time she is in passenger seat she has to be told to strap up. She has her own excuses like having to hold the baby etc. Yesterday afternoon, when we were heading out to the market, at around speed of 20 or less, I slammed the brakes hard (In a contolled way, in response to a biker making wrong turn. Moreover, this hard braking was avoidable) making her jump from the seat and reach to the dashboard. Lesson taught. That's why it's always better to show than to explain.

Got the same problem amitjha086 Have never been able to convince my better half to buckle up. I guess this post is going directly to her IM to try and describe the importance for the umpteenth time. The guy i got my car from had hidden all the rear seat-belts in such a manner that i was forced to believe that the Alto didn't have rear seat-belts in 2008 when offered. It was when i was cleaning up the seats that i found all the 3 belts and buckles tucked behind the seats . Restored all of them right away.

[Leoshashi]

MS has launched a nice TVC, encouraging the use of seat belts:

https://youtu.be/aXanM5CHySA

[ads11]

Excellent! This is exactly the sort of thing that I can get behind. Tug at the heart strings and guilt folks into complying. Though if I were to be cynical the Best way to appeal to Joe Public is by appealing to his self interest.
I'm glad they chose the child buckling in at the back too. I bet it was a conscious decision on the commercials part, kinda reflects everything discussed so far.
Wish all of SIAM and maybe the relevant ministry got together to make some sort of hard hitting PSA campaign that went nationwide. It's all well and good that Maruti is doing it, and to be honest, with their huge market share and brand awareness they're best positioned to make a dent in the public consciousness but this needs to become a national standard. It brings to mind something from a visit home a few years ago. At the cinema there was this 2 minute infomercial by the Calcutta Police that was basically a collection of traffic cam clips of some horrendous accidents as a result of poor road manners or lax safety. I guess what they were trying to do was shock the audience into realising the error of their ways through graphic examples of the result.
Is this something anyone else has seen throughout the rest of the country? Maybe that's one way they can go about it. I liken it to the graphic images on cigarette packaging.

[GTO]

Maruti drops the following email:

5 reasons why Indians ignore seatbelts

Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Fuel? Check. And Seat-belt?

The unobtrusive, yet highly critical seatbelt often remains unticked in daily commute and travels. In fact, it is safe to say that the seatbelt is largely unacknowledged as a key safety device, designed to save lives. The impact of this sheer negligence is shocking. In 2016 alone, startling 5,638 lives were claimed as a result of not wearing seatbelts in India (Source: Road Accident Report 2016, MoRTH).

What is driving this apathy?

A 17-city survey, undertaken by Maruti Suzuki in association with Kantar Group (Milward Brown & IMRB), reveals that only 25% passenger vehicle occupants wear seat belts. The research with passenger vehicle users (drivers, co-driver seat passenger, rear seat passengers) from different demographics throws light on some interesting behavioral trends for not belting up.

The top reasons why passenger vehicle drivers do not belt up are:

1. No strict policing:

How many of us are aware that according to a clause in Chapter VI of The Central Motor Vehicles Act 1989, a fine of one thousand rupees can be levied on a driver not wearing seatbelt or carrying passengers not wearing seatbelts in his motor vehicle?

32% drivers cited weak legal enforcement as the key reason for not wearing a seat belt. In most parts of the country, except the driver, no other passenger buckles up. And, generally, that too with a fear of getting caught by the traffic police, and not for personal safety.

2. Personal image over safety:

Wearing a seat belt is ‘shaan ke khilaf’, makes them look like a novice / unconfident driver. 23% respondents said they do not wear seat belt as it negatively impacts their image.

3. Appearance over safety:

You want to wear the seatbelt, but afraid that it might crinkle your crisply ironed white shirt.

22% drivers said they chose not to fasten their seat belts for fear of ruining their clothes.

4. Airbags, the saviour:

Do airbags make your car completely accident-proof? Absolutely NOT. A seatbelt, being a primary restraint system, is the first line of defense in all types of collisions; whereas airbags are designed to work with seatbelts and not replace them. 19% drivers sighted that they do not consider seatbelt as a significant safety device.

5. Influence from peer groups and family:

It is psychologically proven that we subconsciously imitate our peer group to fit into the social mould. This is amply demonstrated in the fact that 18% drivers follow suit of their friends and family and become suspects to lethal road accidents, which could have been prevented by a simple ‘click’.

[abhisheknandan]

We can educate people with all the emotional things and increase our policing, but the fact remains, if this is not coming from your own conscience, all adherence will always be temporary.

This brings us down to the fact that safety and value for life is given the least priority in our country.

[androdev]

Look at the seat-belt



https://www.news18.com/news/movies/n...n-1687335.html

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by androdev

Look at the seat-belt

Attachment 1740845

https://www.news18.com/news/movies/n...n-1687335.html

I see a lot of cab drivers doing this. Some others just put it as a sling over their right shoulder when they approach a junction where police might be there.

A few years ago, seatbelt and helmet checks were quite widespread and frequent in the few cities I lived/frequent during the period. Off late, I see this going down. The good part is a good part of the population have become used to wearing seatbelts and helmets (due to strict rules in the past). The bad part, several others who were forced to do it but didn't like the idea, have done away with their helmets and seatbelts. Most cabs drivers that I see on the road, don't wear the belt. Some others remove it as soon as they are beyond city limits. About 30% of the 2-wheeler traffic can be seen without a helmet.

Any thoughts how this can be curbed?