‘Changes to MV Act push more to follow traffic rules’

While the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 is yet to be implemented in Maharashtra, even talk of it across the country seems to have made a difference in compliance of traffic rules, a recent study has shown.

The NGO Save Life Foundation (SLF), which carried out a study on three routes (two in Mumbai, and one in Delhi), found an increase in seat-belt compliance, usage of helmets, and a decrease in overloading on vehicles. In Maharashtra, SLF studied the Mumbai-Pune expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune highway (NH48).

As per the Act, which was recently passed by Parliament in a bid to improve road safety, motorists will face much higher penalties for traffic violations.

The study found a 13%overall increase in seat-belt compliance. On the Mumbai-Pune expressway, there was an 82% violation of the same rule before the Act came into effect, which reduced to 41% post the Act. It also found a reduction in overloading on trucks from 13% to 3.3%, particularly on the expressway.

In Delhi, the study found an 80.5% increase in the usage of seat-belts among bus drivers at Burari Chowk and a 10% increase in usage of helmets at the Bhalswa Chowk. “The awareness generated after the notification of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 has positively influenced the behaviour of motorists. We expect this to improve further as the enforcement of and compliance with the new law increases. This will lead to a reduction in road fatalities across India,” said Piyush Tewari, founder, SLF.

First Published: Sep 18, 2019 00:40 IST