Not buckling up inside car almost a norm in Pune: Cops

PUNE: Driving cars without buckling up seems to have become a norm for motorists in the city, figures provided by the traffic police revealed.
The statistics showed that there was an over 100% increase in cases related to driving cars without seat belts in 2020 compared to that of 2019. In 2021, the increase was around 43% from that of 2020. This year till last month, close to 25,000 people have been penalized for violating the norm.

Pune police commissioner admitted that people driving cars without seatbelts was a major concern. “We will take up the issue on a priority and take necessary actions,” he told TOI.
Traffic police personnel said commercial vehicle drivers usually adhered to the seat belt norm. “The main problem is with the private car owners. And when it comes to the need to buckle up while in the rear seat of a car, the idea does not exist,” a traffic police officer said. Inspector A S Toradmal of the traffic administration department said in maximum cases, the violators’ excuse was that seat belts were not needed in the city because of the slow traffic.
In the wake of the accident that killed former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and his friend, Jehangir Pandole, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said seat belt alarms would be made compulsory for the rear seats too.
The fine for not wearing seatbelts at any seat in a car is Rs1,000 as per the amended Motor Vehicle Act. A fine of Rs500 is slapped on the motorist caught violating the norm for the first time in Maharashtra. “The fine goes up to Rs1,500 for the subsequent offences,” Toradmal said.
“Cities such as Delhi have excellent compliance of the seat belt and helmet norms. It’s time to make seat belts mandatory for the rear-seat passengers,” said Amit Bhatt, managing director (India) of the International Council of Clean Transportation.
Prashant Inamdar, founder of Pedestrians First, said hefty fines and suspension of licences should be a must for people violating the seat belt norm. “Random and stiff penalties are the best way to bring down traffic rule violations,” Harshad Abhyankar, director of Save Pune Traffic Movement.