Govt. to make wearing seatbelts mandatory for rear occupants

Rear seat occupants can be fined Rs. 1,000 for not wearing the seatbelt by law, but the rule is rarely enforced.

The fatal accident involving the former Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry has brought to light the importance of wearing seatbelts once again. Mistry was travelling in the rear seat of a Mercedes-Benz GLC, which crashed into a divider near Mumbai earlier this week. It is said that he was not wearing the seatbelt, which led to serious head injuries.

In the light of this unfortunate incident, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, has indicated that the government could soon make wearing seatbelts mandatory for rear occupants.

Gadkari stated that he plans to introduce seat belt reminders (SBR) for rear seats. At present, most cars have SBR for the front seats, or at least for the driver’s seat. He also confirmed that there would be penalty for not wearing seatbelts in the rear seats.

The government is yet to reveal the timeframe for the introduction of the new regulations.

Source: ET Auto