The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Want to secure your life? Wear that seat-belt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Want to secure your life? Wear that seat-belt

Staff Reporter

Drivers and front-seat occupants of all four-wheelers manufactured after March 25, 1994 should fasten seat-belts, as per the direction of the Supreme Court. `Inconvenience as a reason for not using seat-belts is a lame excuse' Drivers and front-seat occupants of all four-wheelers manufactured after March 25, 1994 should fasten seat-belts, as per the direction of the Supreme Court.

BANGALORE: In most States, drivers of four-wheelers do not bother to wear seat-belts and this has contributed to the increase in the number of accidents. In Karnataka, many people are not aware of the rule that makes it mandatory for drivers of cars to wear seat-belts.

Drivers and front-seat occupants of all four-wheelers manufactured after March 25, 1994, should fasten seat-belts, as per the direction of the Supreme Court. However, a majority of them defy the safety rule as prescribed by the apex court.

In the developed world, where seat-belts fixation laws, promotion and usage have been a priority, it is conservatively estimated that over the last 25 years about 3.1 lakh fatalities and 90 lakh critical injuries have been prevented through wearing seat-belts, according to the website of the Institute of Road Traffic Education, New Delhi. It says that as there is a vacuum in collision investigation and research in India, the number and percentage of deaths and serious injuries to vehicle occupants not wearing seat-belts is not available. However, this number must be large, according to the institute.

The Bangalore police have, in the past, taken up campaigns to create awareness of road safety and the importance of wearing seat-belts. The police say they find it difficult to enforce the law as some car models are not equipped with seat-belts. But they point out that it is not difficult or expensive for car owners to get seat-belts fitted in old cars. "In at least 30 per cent of fatal accidents and those resulting in serious injuries, either the driver or front seat passenger was not using a safety belt,'' police officials say. On their part, the police are trying to ensure safety by issuing warnings to those who do not wear seat-belts. They are particularly strict when it comes to drivers on the national highways.

Says Kiran, who takes her two children to school in her car: "The seat-belt rule is not as strictly enforced in Bangalore as it is in cities such as Delhi. However, I ensure that my children and I wear seat-belts when we travel, even if it is a short distance. Some people cite `inconvenience' as a reason for not using seat-belts; but this is just a lame excuse."

Automobile dealers say all models of cars these days are equipped with seat-belts for both the front and rear seats. Those dealing in used cars say they can fit seat-belts in the older models, on requests from customers.

"Seat-belts are all the more important for drivers covering long distances," says Ashok, who drives nearly 20 km to his office near Whitefield. Within the city, most drivers find seat-belts "restrictive" and feel that they are not necessary as speeds are low in city limits.

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