[porsche_guy]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

My mom wears seatbelt when I drive but then the cross belt that comes from the c pillar above right across the shoulder ultimately lands right at the neck. I think in case of sudden stop the belt will press against the neck.

To that I say, a broken collarbone is still better than losing your life!

Additionally, for those who feel that the seatbelts are uncomfortable, there are seatbelt covers available in the market for quite cheap.



(Image source: Google Images)

[MaheshY1]

It infuriates me to see men riding with the wife on the back seat and kid on the fuel tank AND NO MIRRORS. Riding on the lane markers at 40. Not even bothered to move out of the way.

And when I see kids standing in ahead of the front seat. I've been unsuccessful at trying to convince well-read people in my circle earning a 7-figure salary to use riding gear and seat belts even when sitting in the back bench.

I've concluded that it's not possible to change people's minds once they grow up. So, I'm thinking of training kids in schools every Saturday and hold some training sessions in schools. The concept is still in extremely early stages. and I haven't even listed out what all I can cover and how I should cover it.

Maybe private schools should pay a nominal fee to cover the expenses bug govt schools will get the sessions for free. Or I may keep it free for all. Maybe I can get some riding gear sales outlets and motor insurance companies to sponsor. It's, after all, going to save them money by minimizing the number of accidents and hopefully some day we'll have the majority of citizens following the rules of the road and going beyond what the law says. For their own and others safety.

Group 1 is class 1, 2, 3
Group 2 is class 4, 5, 6
...
Group 4 is class 10, 11, 12
Group 5 is faculty and staff at the schools. After all, they can have the biggest impact as they spend the most amount of time with kids.

So, for different groups, the information delivered and the way it's delivered will be different. I'll also have to get some merchandise with safety quotes. Perpahs some comics for younger kids with stories to convey the message.

here's the list of topics I have compiled so far with the group number I'm thinking:

Visibility
Seeing 3, 4, 5
360 degree vision 4, 5
Mirror adjusting 4, 5
Blind spots
Anticipating 4, 5

Being seen
Clothing colors 2, 3, 4, 5
Lights low and high beam 3, 4, 5
Reflectives 3, 4, 5
Honking 4, 5
Flashing 4, 5
Driving fog 3, 4, 5
Driving night 4, 5
Using flickers 4, 5

Off-vehicle
No road crossing 1
Road crossing 2, 3, 4, 5
Walking on the curb 3, 4, 5

On Vehicle
2 Wheeler 3, 4, 5
Gear 4, 5
Right safety gear 4, 5
Helmet 3, 4, 5
Style 3, 4, 5
4 Wheeler
Buckle up 2, 3, 4, 5
Airbag 4, 5
ABS 4, 5
Chassis/Bumper vs Cabin 4, 5
Child seat 5

Vehicle Condition
Tyre 4, 5
Wipers 5
Lights 4, 5
Brakes 4, 5
Skill 4, 5
Invest with driving and riding schools 4, 5
Experience 4, 5
Communicating your intentions with other road users 3, 4, 5
Competing on road 4, 5
Predictability 4, 5

Some of the raw material, I'll obviously procure from Tbhp and spice it up based on the target audience. Your suggestions are welcome.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Two thirds of the respondents believed that Indian roads are unsafe for children and 91.4% felt the need for a strong child road safety law in India.

91.4%? That'll reduce to 9.14% once they realise that they have to invest in child seats!

Even today when I tell my mom and brother to wear seatbelts, they refuse. Only after an emergency braking maneuver do they buckle up immediately!

I'm pretty sure it's worse in families with no auto enthusiasts!

[RedStallion]

@ Turbohead,

One of my colleagues had to come home as he was refused to aboard the bus from Munich to Venice by the bus driver. He did not have a child seat with him and he wasn't aware for this mandatory requirement. Here in India, he might not have come across this situation.

Safety rules should be always followed without being told. Sadly, I don't know when these rules will be followed proactively.

Indian OEMs do not provide child seat anchor in lower variants till date. (Only mandatory requirements from government are being followed.) Also, Buses should have seat belts as in case of panic breaking, it would certainly help. Government should bring all these safety rules as soon as possible. Fingers crossed.

In my company, the last week was celebrated as road safety week. Safety awareness is the only thing in our hand, I believe. Defensive driving techniques was also one of the topics.

Happy and safe motoring!

[ads11]

I actually was consistently peeved by something I noticed on all Uber's and OLA's when I went home for Christmas. Because they all tend to have seat covers, I don't think I found a single one with the seat belt buckle accessible. Now personally I get annoyed by seat covers in general but I can understand why the cab drivers use them but with the rear belt I felt compelled to wonder if it was worth writing an email to Uber India to maybe get the matter flagged on someone's to-do list for improvements to their Indian services.

Honestly at this point, I've given up trying to argue with reluctant friends and family. I just quietly buckle in and get on with it, wherever I'm sitting.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

I think in case of sudden stop the belt will press against the neck.

Originally Posted by porsche_guy

Tthere are seatbelt covers available in the market for quite cheap.

A year earlier, my daughter complained of the belt brushing on the neck. She is skinny. There are neck pillows available which come with a velcro that you can wrap over the seat belt. These are thicker than the seatbelt covers porsche_guy is mentioning.

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

So, I'm thinking of training kids in schools every Saturday and hold some training sessions in schools.

Its the school administration and parents who need to be addressed first. It's against your logic. But think this way, they are the ones who hold the decision to implement in practice or not.

Even for safety conscious parents, we had to constantly keep implementing it. And you have to hold your nerves for all the melodrama that gets thrown at you. First time on car seat, my then 2 year old son cried for a good 2 hours. Imagine doing this, without spouse support

[GTO]

Would say it's more like 99.99% of Indian passengers who don't.

I have to sheepishly admit that, until the year 2010, neither did I buckle up on the backseat and nor did I insist on my passengers doing so. But after I visited the Ford factory & attended their safety workshop (link), my eyes opened up to the risks. Since, I buckle up wherever I'm sitting (and so do my passengers).

Point made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWN6kchSI2E

[MaheshY1]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

when I tell my mom and brother to wear seatbelts, they refuse.

Same here. I got tired of asking my mom and others. And since I don't want to get hit by a ~60kg projectile when I crash, I moved the child seat behind the driver seat.

[sachinayak]

May sound a little stupid here, but when we wanted to buy an Innova, my wife insisted on the 7 seater version (whereas I wanted the 8 seater, for that extra seat).

In hindsight, the captain seats in the middle row, ensure that my kids are always belted up (except for a quick spin in the neighborhood). Since they are used to being belted up when sitting in front, the captain seats offer a similar experience and wearing seat belts comes naturally.

Am sure with a bench in the middle row, it would have needed more pestering from us for the habit to be formed.

[Thad E Ginathom]

As my friend and his wife got into my car, the other day, my friend said to his back-seated wife, "You have to wear the seat belt in this car!"

I insist. I regularly carry elderly passengers and I mostly insist. It was a little difficult with an 84-yr-old lady: if they really can't belt themselves in (Hey, most have been to USA at least once, and some to other coutries as well) then it is a hands-all-over job to tie them in. And I didn't.

I'm glad GTO posted the Julie video. It says it all --- in a Hitchcock style that only British Public-Service-Announcement ads could do. It woke me up when I saw it on the TV!

I used to think that the seat in front of me was soft. An ex-cop colleague told me: it's no fun getting people bits out of the seat framework.

No doubt, the Julie video is long forgotten in my mother country, and, no doubt, another generation of people there are unaware of that danger.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

...I'm thinking of training kids in schools every Saturday and hold some training sessions in schools.

...here's the list of topics I have compiled so far with the group number I'm thinking:

That pretty much covers the UK Highway Code. However, teaching this to unwilling participants who have no compulsion to actually learn the matter, is actually going to be fruitless, and a thankless exercise.

Telling people to wear seat belts doesn't work. Telling them to pay up a thousand bucks every time that they don't, works much much better. Making them pay another 2000 bucks to attend an 8-hour road safety class, every time they are caught violating the basic rules of the road (and having to pass a test at the end of the session), works best.

[blackwasp]

We were flagged down at the Khambatki Ghat stretch on our recent trip to Kolhapur. Was going through the dash cam footage and came across this interaction with the highway cops who were stopping cars for not wearing seat belts. Good initiative! Keep it up guys. Seeing us all belted in (I was at the back, with dad driving and mom as co-driver), he simply asked if all papers are in order and let us go in less than a minute.

https://youtu.be/OzFbLPxLpLs

[SJM1214]

Convincing co-passengers to wear a seat belt at rear seat is a hard task. They always have different excuses not to wear them. In most of my friend's cars, rear seat belts are removed or hidden behind aftermarket car covers.

I have started a unique method to inspire them to use rear seat belts. I have some crash video GIFs on my phone. I forwarded them to friend's wives(& kids) and explained to them the benefit of wearing seat belts at rear seats. It's working, many of my friends reinstalled rear seat belts and their families started using it. Target and convince the family members (wives and kids) of car owner and they"ll start doing it.

[mxh]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

That pretty much covers the UK Highway Code. However, teaching this to unwilling participants who have no compulsion to actually learn the matter, is actually going to be fruitless, and a thankless exercise.

Telling people to wear seat belts doesn't work. Telling them to pay up a thousand bucks every time that they don't, works much much better. Making them pay another 2000 bucks to attend an 8-hour road safety class, every time they are caught violating the basic rules of the road (and having to pass a test at the end of the session), works best.

Completely agree. Lay down laws and then enforce. There are many stupid people who are not worth wasting time convincing. Make these same people pay $$$ and waste their time, so even if they have enough money, they become fed up and never repeat the mistake again.

[ravib]

Sad to see that majority of Indians think/feel seat belts (and helmets) are inconvenience and make them uncomfortable
But me and my family are living examples who survived an accident and are alive due to seat belts. My wife and little daughter who were seated in rear seats walked out without a scratch or major injury, only because i insisted them to wear seat belts.

I make my point very clear those who sit in my car. If you buckle up, i won't start the engine. Period!

Read my story here!

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/drive...vors-tale.html

-Ravi