Impose Rs 1000 Fine for Not Wearing Seat Belts in Karnataka: Centre Orders Police Amid Rise in Accidents

After Mumbai, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a fresh order to the Karnataka state police to increase the penalty for not wearing seat belts for four-wheeler drivers and co-passengers from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 on Wednesday. The order came as the state reported a rise in road accidents.

Mumbai police issued a notice on October 14 stating wearing seat belts will be compulsory for four-wheeler drivers and co-passengers in the metropolis from November 1. All motorists and vehicle owners were instructed to install seat belt facilities in four-wheelers before November 1 and warned of action against violators. Strict action will be taken against violators under section 194 (B) (1) of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, city officials had said.

The government has brought forth laws ensuring strict enforcement of seat belts even in the rear seats since former chairman of Tata Sons Cyrus Mistry was killed in a road accident in adjoining Palghar district. A probe into the crash revealed the businessman, who was on the rear seat of the Mercedes car, was not wearing a safety belt.

Last month, the road transport ministry issued draft rules to make it mandatory for car markers to install an alarm system for rear seat belts just like ones for seats in front. According to the ministry’s notification, the rules seek to replace the norm for “driver and co-driver safety belt reminder” with “driver and all other front facing seat occupants safety belt reminder.”

As per the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2021 report, an average of 426 daily or 18 fatalities were reported in road crashes every single hour. An analysis of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data speeding kills one Indian every six minutes and injures one every two minutes. “Majority (59.7%) of road accidents were due to over-speeding, accounting for 87,050 deaths and 2,28,274 persons injured,” the report says. A total of 2,40,828 cases of over-speeding were recorded in 2021.

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