KOCHI: The state government directive making seat belts mandatory for rear seat passengers in four-wheel vehicles is unlikely to yield desired results as most of the vehicles plying on the roads do not have the prescribed number of rear seat belts.
It’s a fact that only the latest vehicles have advanced safety features which include an adequate number of seat belts in the back seat. The latest research by a leading car maker and an NGO found that only seven per cent of rear-seat passengers wear seat belts across 11 major Indian cities. “Eighty-one per cent of them know that rear seat belts exist, but choose not to wear them,” the research said.
Kerala Online Drivers Union state president Jacson Varghese said: “Though it’s a good decision by the state government, its implementation is not that easy. We have some difficulties to force passengers to wear seat belts. Since most of our vehicles were manufactured between 2008 and 2012, they don’t have a seat belt for the fifth passenger. Above all, if customers are not wearing the available seat belts, we are going to be in trouble. If the government wants to reduce accident rates in the state, it has to develop roads based on international standards.”
A study conducted by state-based National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) also highlighted the fact that most passengers in the rear do not wear seat belts. “In Kerala, only drivers wear seat belts. Even front-seat passengers do not wear seat belts,” said a NATPAC officer welcoming the state’s decision. Traffic Expert and former Ernakulam RTO B J Antony said, “There is no practical difficulty in implementing the order. The apex court has clearly mentioned seat belts are compulsory for passengers in vehicles having seat belts. If vehicles are not fitted with seat belts, the department will not initiate action.”
What the order says
It’s compulsory for all passengers travelling in vehicles having seat belts to wear them
No insurance company will be able to pay any compensation to those who violate the rule
Amrutha K, homemaker Kozhikode
I wholeheartedly welcome the rule. There will be practical difficulties in the initial stage. But we can ovecome them easily. Safety comes first.