All occupants in a vehicle will now have to wear a seatbelt as per the new directives ordered by Mumbai Police. Last month, the police department issued a notification mandating seatbelts in four-wheelers from November 1, 2022. While wearing seatbelts has always been mandatory under the Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, under section l94(B) (1), it's now being seriously enforced in the financial capital of the country and is a punishable offence. Passengers will be fined Rs. 200 for not wearing a seatbelt in the car.
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Seatbelts for occupants in the rear seat is mandatory in Delhi too
That said, the Delhi Police also issued a directive first in September this year mandating the use of seatbelts for passengers in the rear seat. Vehicle owners are liable to be fined Rs 1,000 should they be caught not wearing a seatbelt when sitting in the back. Do remember that the seatbelt remains your primary safety restraint in a vehicle and only then the supplementary restraint systems like an airbag can be effective.
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The shocking death of former Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry brought to light the importance of wearing a seatbelt in a vehicle, especially in the rear seat. As per the investigation, Mistry wasn't wearing a seatbelt in the rear seat, which led to his untimely death while travelling with friends on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.
Also Read: India Pushes Back Six Car Airbags Rule By A Year To Oct 2023
The unfortunate incident also highlighted the need for three-point seatbelts for all occupants in a vehicle. At present, the rear centre passenger gets a lap seatbelt in mass-market cars. In other news, the government pushed the deadline for incorporating six airbags in all cars to October 1, 2023, a year later than initially planned. The global supply chain constraints faced by the auto industry were said to be one of the reasons for pushing the deadline from October 1, 2022.
