Rear seat passengers too will have to wear seat belts, failing which action will be taken against them. (File)The Mumbai traffic police on Friday issued an order based on provisions in the Motor Vehicles Act mandating the use of seat belts for all passengers seated in vehicles from November 1. This means that rear seat passengers too will have to wear seat belts, failing which action will be taken against them.
The death of Cyrus Mistry, the former chairman of Tata Sons, in a road accident in Maharashtra’s Palghar on September 4 had put the focus back on the importance of wearing seat belts. Mistry was seated in the rear seat with Jehangir Pandole, director at KPMG Global Strategy Group. Both were not wearing seat belts and both did not survive.
The traffic police have said that after November 1, they will start taking action against those whose vehicles do not have seat belts in the front and rear seats.
The order issued by Rajvardhan Sinha, joint commissioner of police, traffic, Mumbai, reads, “As per the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, under section 194(b) (1) Whoever drives a motor vehicle without wearing a safety belt or carries passengers not wearing seat belts shall be punishable. Accordingly, to install seat belt facility in motor vehicles which do not have seat belt facility for all commuters, the period is being given till date 01/11/2022.”
“Therefore, all motor vehicle drivers and all commuters in vehicles, whoever travels on the roads of Mumbai City are hereby informed that, it will be mandatory for drivers and all passengers to wear seat belts while traveling from 01/11/2022. Otherwise, action will be taken under Section 194(B)(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019,” the order says.