NEW DELHI
The government recently proposed that all seats in a car, including the rear-middle seat, must have a Y-shaped seat belt that is considered safer and typically provided for all window seats. While the use of rear seat belts is integral for ensuring safety of all passengers in a vehicle and mandatory under law, lack of awareness and poor enforcement are big impediments. In a draft notification issued earlier this month for stakeholder consultations, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed that all front facing seats in vehicles of M1 category (motor vehicle used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats) should be provided with three-point belts. Earlier, manufacturers had the option to provide a three-point or two-point (waist strap) belt. Since most cars already have y-shaped belts for window seats, the notification once finalised will effectively mean that middle-rear seat belts will also have to have the same belts instead of only a belt for the waist. The three-point seat belt has been proven to be safer than the lap belt because it evenly spreads out the energy of a moving body over the chest, shoulders and pelvis at the time of a collision, resulting in fewer injuries. But very few know that seat belts are mandatory for passengers on the rear seats. According to Rule 138 (3) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) persons “seated in the front seat or the persons occupying front facing rear seats” must wear seat belts while the vehicle is in motion. Failure to do so can result in a fine of ₹1,000. A study conducted by SaveLIFE Foundation in 2019 across 11 cities which included 6,306 respondents found that only 7% said they used rear seat-belts. Only 27.7% of the respondents were aware that their use was mandatory. Of the parents surveyed who reported that their child sits on the rear seat, 77% reported that they sit without a rear seat-belt. As per the World Health Organisation, the use of rear seat-belts can prevent death of a rear seat passenger by 25%, it can also prevent excess injury or death for the front seat passenger. In a similar move, the government has also made it mandatory from next February for all children under four to wear a helmet and safety harness when pillion riding on a bike. “Over 30% of the fatal crashes investigated by SaveLIFE Foundation across various highways involved injuries suffered by passengers due to non-wearing of rear seat belts. In a recent case involving seven fatalities in a single vehicle, it emerged that not a single passenger was wearing a seatbelt as a result of which all seven were ejected from the vehicle on impact. Seat belts in front and rear are not mere accessories. They save lives when used properly,” said Piyush Tewari founder of SaveLIFE Foundation. There are many challenges for those responsible for enforcing the law. “Traffic police teams are acutely understaffed and therefore are able to check only a small percentage of road users. If a district is required to have 500 traffic personnel, actual deployment is negligible. Then there is also resistance from the public if they are penalised, which often results in allegations against police personnel,” said R.K. Vij, who recently retired as Special DGP of Chhatisgarh.
