New Delhi, Sep 6 : Note of the fact that the majority of people who sit on the back seat of automobiles do not wear seat belts, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced on Tuesday that those who sit in the rear of cars not wearing seat belts will soon be penalized.Minister said that a notice in this subject will be issued in the next 3 days.
Gadkari’s comments came two days after former industrialist Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and his colleague Jahangir Pandole were killed when their Mercedes car struck the road-divider in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.Mistry was reported to not have the seat belt.
“A notice will be issued in the coming three days that , if one does not use a seat belt when sitting in the back seat of an automobile, he or she will be penalized.Following the tragic incident of Cyrus Mistry, I have decided to be an alarm to the seat belts on the rear seat as well as the driver’s.
A fine will be imposed if you do not wear a seat belts when sitting in the back seat of an automobile,” Gadkari said while speaking to the media.
Minister said that the highest percentage of people killed in accident on the road in India is in the age group 18-34.
On the eve of an event that took place on Monday Gadkari stated that many people think that people who sit in the rear seats do not need seat belts.
“This is the issue.
I do not want to make any remarks on any accident.However, both front-seaters and back-seaters must use seat belts” he said.
The minister also asked why car manufacturers offer six airbags in export versions of cars , whereas cars that are sold in India are equipped with four airbags.
According to an WHO report that a seat belt reduces the chance of deaths among front seat drivers and passengers by 45-50 percent and the chance of serious injuries and death for rear seat occupants by 25.
Passengers who sit in the rear are not held to their seat in the event of an accident when the seat belt isn’t fastened in.
A rear seat passenger who isn’t wearing seat belts in the event of an accident, could be more likely to hitting the backrest of the front seat.This could result in whiplash injuries, which can be caused by hitting vertebrae and cutting off oxygen supply to the brain.
In many instances rear passengers who do not wear a seat belts can hit with the seat in front, dragging forward the front passenger onto the dashboard or activating an airbag which could result in a fatal accident.
It has been reported that in some cases rear passengers could even be able to fly out of the windscreen or strike the steering wheel or dashboard.
kvm/arm
