Gadkari Outsmarts Seat Belt Dodgers By Telling Amazon And Flipkart To Remove Listings For SBR Alarm Stoppers

• Seat belt clips are used to illegally shut off seat belt reminders (SBRs) in cars. 

• SBRs are already standard fitment in most cars for the front seats. 

• Rear seat belt reminders to become mandatory in India soon. 

• New notification for rear SBRs is expected soon in light of the recent Cyrus Mistry accident. 

Upon Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s instruction, major online retailers Amazon and Flipkart have removed listings for accessories such as seat belt clips that can be used to trick seat belt reminders (SBRs) in cars.

Seat belt alarm stoppers are highly unsafe accessories

Seat belt clips come in the shape of standard seat belt tongues that clip into your car’s buckle. Once in place, you can’t buckle your seat belt without removing the clip. In essence, it fools the sensor within the buckle and the seat belt reminder system so that it won’t beep as usual when the car is in motion above 20kmph. 

While the mechanical device itself isn’t illegal, it is against the law to tamper with the safety systems in a car. Besides, it’s foolhardy to go to such lengths to avoid wearing a seat belt. Safety belts have been consistently demonstrated to reduce fatalities and major injuries in car accidents for front and rear passengers alike. 

Take a look at the video below as a cautionary tale.  

Other seat belt accessories you must avoid 

While Amazon and Flipkart have removed seat belt clips, other accessories that compromise car safety are still available to buy. These include fancy seat belt tongues and non-standard multicolour seat belt webbings (the strap that goes over your lap and shoulder). 

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But you shouldn’t waste your money on them, since these aftermarket parts often lack the structural integrity of the factory-fitted seat belt assembly, making them more likely to fail in an accident. 

Even seat belt clips that prevent the belt from retracting fully can render the pre-tensioner system (present in most modern cars) ineffective. Pre-tensioners act by tightening the seat belt around your body when the sensors in the car detect an imminent accident or sudden deceleration. 

Also read: 

• Rear Seat Belt Reminder To Become Mandatory, Stricter Enforcement Coming: Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

• Cyrus Mistry Accident: Why Buckling Up In The Back Is Important

If you ever have to replace the seat belt in your car, always go for OEM components and get the assembly professionally installed at the carmaker’s authorised workshop. 

In the wake of a recent accident which resulted in the death of ex-Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry, the government plans to enforce rear seat belt usage more strictly. In addition, it also plans to make SBRs mandatory in the rear seats.