Rear Seatbelt Reminders Will Soon Become A Standard Feature In Every Indian Car

• Rear seatbelt reminders will become a standard safety feature for all new cars.

• This rule will be applicable for the second as well as the third row.

• Soon, a fine will also be imposed for not wearing seatbelts in the rear.

• Three-point seatbelts could also become a standard for all front-facing seats.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a draft recently which proposes making rear seatbelt reminders a standard safety feature in all new cars sold in India. 

This draft also states that warning lights and sounds will be applicable for all front-facing seats and will be mandatory for both five and seven-seater cars. This draft will be passed after October 5, subject to the hearing of all public comments.

In a recent incident, the ex-chairman of Tata Group, Cyrus Mistry, died in a road accident when the car he was traveling in hit a road divider. Initial investigations showed that he was not wearing a seatbelt in the rear and suffered fatal injuries. In the aftermath of this incident, Nitin Gadkari stated that wearing rear seatbelts will soon become mandatory and announced that the government will impose a fine for not doing so.

Also read: 

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

• Major Online Retailers Scrap Listings After Nitin Gadkari Urges To Stop Selling Seat Belt Alarm Stoppers

The fine imposed for not wearing a seatbelt is currently Rs 1,000 but could be revised with the passing of this rule. Also, most cars in India only have lap belts for the rear passengers, not proper seatbelts. Considering this, the government can also make three-point seatbelts mandatory for all front-facing seats soon.