Road Safety: Why Should You Always Wear Seatbelts

With 1,73,860 traffic related deaths occurring in 2021 (NCRB Data), and the recent, unfortunate death of Cyrus Mistry, former chairman, Tata Sons in a road accident, raised a lot of questions around road safety and the importance of wearing seat belts, especially when sitting at the rear. While much has been said about the particular incident and even industry stalwarts like Anand Mahindra tweeted about it. So, why is it important and what kind of a difference it makes when you wear seatbelts, irrespective of whether you are sitting up front or at the rear? We tell you all about it. 

Also Read: Cyrus Mistry, Former Tata Sons Chairman, Dies In A Road Accident

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that wearing seat belt up front can reduce risk of injury/death by up to 45-50 per cent. Wearing seatbelts at the rear can reduce fatality by 25 per cent and helps in preventing excess injury/death for persons sitting up front. What happens is that person(s) sitting at the rear and if they are unbuckled, become a projectile of sorts, especially when the car comes to a stop in very less time, which is what happens in case of an accident. Not wearing seatbelts can also cause a problem in airbags inflating in case of a crash. The three-point seat belt helps dissipate the energy across the body in case of a crash in addition to holding the person in place. 

Also Read: Anand Mahindra Tweets On Cyrus Mistry's Death In Road Accident

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a notification earlier in the year, saying all vehicles with front-faced seats are supposed to have three-point seatbelts. The Rule of 138 (3) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) also says that wearing seat belts whether seated up front or at the rear is mandatory and there’s provision for a fine of up to Rs. 1,000 in case the motorist is not wearing seat belts. 

A research conducted by Nissan India and SaveLIFE Foundation in 2019, revealed that only 81 per cent of motorists know that seatbelts at the rear exist, but choose not to wear them. A mere seven per cent respondents across 11 metro cities in India wore seatbelts at the rear. The lack of awareness and a general disregard towards road safety and is what leads to a significant number of deaths and injuries in case of road accidents involving passenger cars.    

The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report for 2021 says that 1.55 lakh Indians died in road accidents in 2021, which is up 17 per cent from 1.33 lakh deaths in 2020. The number of road accidents too saw an increase from 3.53 lakh incidents in 2020 to 4.03 lakh in 2021. Of course, it needs to be noted that a significant part of 2020 saw a nationwide lockdown, but still, the numbers are on the rise. The NCRB report also said that speeding caused around 87,000 deaths and dangerous driving caused around 42,000 deaths. And like always two-wheelers accounted for 44.5 per cent deaths caused due to road accidents in 2021.