Mandatory rear seat belt rule in Mumbai gets delayed but not for long: Details

The mandatory rear seat belt rule which was due to be imposed in Mumbai from November 1 onwards has been postponed by the Mumbai Police. Once in place, the city police will crackdown on passengers inside cars who are not wearing seat belts, especially those sitting at the rear. This is in line with the rules mentioned in the Motor Vehicles Act that makes not wearing seatbelt punishable by fine for all passengers.

As per reports, Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police (Traffic), Raj Tilak Roushan announced the delay. He said that the implementation of the drive against seat belt rule violators has been postponed by 10 days. This has been done to raise awareness among commuters in Mumbai through social media and radio. This will give enough time for commuters in Mumbai to be sensitised about the safety drive before it goes into action on November 10. Once the seat belt drive goes live, violators will be fined Rs 200 for not wearing seat belts through e-challans.
A similar drive will also be put in place against two-wheeler commuters who do not wear helmets when riding pillion. Just like the rear seat belt, the mandate for pillions wearing helmets is often overlooked and not implemented strictly. However, this will change in Mumbai very soon after a crackdown is put into action against violators.

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 or helmet shall be punishable under the aforementioned section.
What are your thoughts on the crackdown on rear seat passengers not wearing helmets and pillion riders not wearing helmets? Tell us in the comments.