Sitting in the back without seatbelt? Here's what will happen now

In the aftermath of the road accident that killed former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry, the government has made seatbelts mandatory for all passengers sitting in cars.

Listen to Story

In Short

• From now on, wearing seatbelts would be mandatory for all passengers in a car
• The decision comes after former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in an accident
• The safety alarms will now beep if rare seat passengers don't wear seatbelts

Wearing seatbelts will be mandatory now for all passengers in a car, including those in the back seats, and violators will be fined, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday, adding that safety alarms that typically beep when seatbelts in the front are not engaged, will now also go off for rare seats as well.

In the aftermath of the road accident that killed former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry, experts and critics pointed out loopholes in the transport and traffic control system. Amid never-ending speculation over the laws governing seatbelts for car passengers, Gadkari said that they will be mandatory for all sitting in a car.

But, why did the government take this decision? Was it not necessary to wear seatbelts in the back seat until now? When will the government's order regarding seatbelts come into effect?

Here, we answer some of these important questions.

WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED?

Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced the government's decision and said that now it will be mandatory for all to wear a seatbelt - even if sitting in the back. Failure to do so will attract penalties.

ALARM TO GO OFF IF SEATBELTS NOT WORN

Until now, when passengers in the front seat do not wear seatbelts, an alarm is sounded. Now, the same will happen if the passengers on the rare seats do not wear them.

WHEN WILL THIS ORDER COME INTO EFFECT?

According to Nitin Gadkari, the new order in this regard will be implemented in three days and the order will be applicable to all types of vehicles. After this, it will be necessary for all the passengers to wear seatbelts.

WAS THERE NO SUCH LAW TILL NOW?

While there is already a law which makes seatbelts mandatory for all passengers, it is hardly enforced. It is necessary for a person travelling in a car to wear a seatbelt and for a person riding a two-wheeler to wear a helmet. The Motor Vehicles Act was amended in 2019.

Section 194(B)(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act states that whoever drives a motor vehicle without wearing a safety belt or carries passengers not wearing seat belts shall be punishable with a fine of Rs 1,000.

IS IT NECESSARY FOR CHILDREN TOO?

Yes. It is mandatory for everyone in a car to wear seatbelts. Section 194(B)(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act states that if a child below the age of 14 is in the car, he/she must also wear a safety belt. Failure to do so will attract a fine of Rs 1,000.

WHY DID THE GOVERNMENT TAKE THIS DECISION?

The government took the decision after the death of the former chairman of Tata Group, Cyrus Mistry, in a car accident on Sunday.

Mistry, along with three others, were travelling from Gujarat to Maharashtra when their car rammed into a divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

Cyrus Mistry and his friend Jahangir Pandole died on the spot, while the other two passengers - gynaecologist Anahita Pandole and her husband Darius Pandole - suffered major injuries and were rushed to a hospital. Anahita Pandole was driving the car.

The impact of the collision was severe. The police said that the airbags in the front seats deployed but the ones in the rear did not pop out since the seatbelts were not engaged.