Ignore at your own peril!

KOCHI: The death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a car crash on Sunday has stirred a discussion as preliminary investigations reveal that he was travelling in the rear seat without fastening the seat belt. Soon after the incident, many took to social media, highlighting the importance of wearing seatbelts. In a tweet, industrialist Anand Mahindra vowed to wear the seat belt while sitting in the rear seat.

Road safety officials say though the car accident happened due to rash overtaking and misjudgement of the driver, who survived, the impact of the crash on the passengers would have been lesser if they had been wearing seat belts.

“Many people do not bother to use seat belts in cars or wear helmets while riding two-wheelers. These safety mechanisms are a must for safe travel,” says Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) executive director T Elangovan.

“A seat belt is the first line of defence. If you do not fasten the seat belt properly, airbags will not open. Now, all cars are fitted with rear seat belts. But very few people use them. During a crash, the person in the rear seat is thrown forward with immense force. For instance, impact of a person weighing 80kg can be about 3,200kg on collision. So, if those in the rear seat are not wearing a seat belt, they are endangering the driver and passenger in the front, too.” 

According to the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2019, seat belts should be worn by those sitting behind the car. For children below five years, there should be a child restraint seat. In a bid to make roads safer for motorists and ensure that all motorists adhere to the rules, the Kerala Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has strengthened its surveillance system with Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras.

“Though road accidents have increased by 3 per cent in the first seven months of this year when compared with 2019 (before  pandemic), the fatalities have come down by 10 per cent,” says Elangovan. The vital steps are to enforce rules pertaining to seat belts, helmets and use of mobile phones, say experts.    

“Though several awareness programmes are conducted, rules are often violated,” says Ernakulam RTO (additional charge - enforcement) Shabeer P M.  “Every week, more than 20 violations related to seat belts and helmets are reported from the city. They are charged with a fine of `500. However, the violations have come down in recent times”.

Keep in mind

• Seatbelts are mandatory and should be worn by passengers in the front and rear seats.
• Helmets are mandatory for riders as well as pillion riders.
• Triple riding on a two-wheeler is also not allowed.
• Only children of 12 years or above are allowed to ride pillion on a two-wheeler.

KOCHI: The death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a car crash on Sunday has stirred a discussion as preliminary investigations reveal that he was travelling in the rear seat without fastening the seat belt. Soon after the incident, many took to social media, highlighting the importance of wearing seatbelts. In a tweet, industrialist Anand Mahindra vowed to wear the seat belt while sitting in the rear seat. Road safety officials say though the car accident happened due to rash overtaking and misjudgement of the driver, who survived, the impact of the crash on the passengers would have been lesser if they had been wearing seat belts. “Many people do not bother to use seat belts in cars or wear helmets while riding two-wheelers. These safety mechanisms are a must for safe travel,” says Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) executive director T Elangovan. “A seat belt is the first line of defence. If you do not fasten the seat belt properly, airbags will not open. Now, all cars are fitted with rear seat belts. But very few people use them. During a crash, the person in the rear seat is thrown forward with immense force. For instance, impact of a person weighing 80kg can be about 3,200kg on collision. So, if those in the rear seat are not wearing a seat belt, they are endangering the driver and passenger in the front, too.”  According to the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2019, seat belts should be worn by those sitting behind the car. For children below five years, there should be a child restraint seat. In a bid to make roads safer for motorists and ensure that all motorists adhere to the rules, the Kerala Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has strengthened its surveillance system with Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras. “Though road accidents have increased by 3 per cent in the first seven months of this year when compared with 2019 (before  pandemic), the fatalities have come down by 10 per cent,” says Elangovan. The vital steps are to enforce rules pertaining to seat belts, helmets and use of mobile phones, say experts.     “Though several awareness programmes are conducted, rules are often violated,” says Ernakulam RTO (additional charge - enforcement) Shabeer P M.  “Every week, more than 20 violations related to seat belts and helmets are reported from the city. They are charged with a fine of `500. However, the violations have come down in recent times”. Keep in mind Seatbelts are mandatory and should be worn by passengers in the front and rear seats. Helmets are mandatory for riders as well as pillion riders. Triple riding on a two-wheeler is also not allowed. Only children of 12 years or above are allowed to ride pillion on a two-wheeler.