The Mumbai traffic police on Friday issued an order requiring the use of seat belts for all passengers seated in vehicles from November 1.
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Serious situation
Maharashtra has the third highest number of road crash deaths after Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Rear seat passengers too will have to wear seat belts, failing which action will be taken against them.
The fine for not wearing a seatbelt in Mumbai is Rs. 1,000.
Those who do not have seatbelts will need to get the same installed before the deadline.
Background
The death of Cyrus Mistry, the former chairman of Tata Sons, in a road accident on September 4 cast a new light on the severity of road accidents.
His car hit the railing of a bridge in the Palghar district.
Mistry was seated in the rear seat and was not wearing seat belts and did not survive.
Wearing a seatbelt in the rear seat could’ve prevented his fatal injuries.
The incident stressed the need to wear seat belts not just in general but also for those seated at the rear.
What the statistics show
As per the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing seat belts reduces one’s risk of suffering injuries or death by about half.
The way seat belts help is by preventing passengers from being ejected from their seat or in a high impact collision, even being thrown out of the car.
It instead absorbs the force and disperse it to the shoulder and hips, the parts of the body that can handle the impact strongest.
This saves them from severe facial, head, spine and thoracic injuries.
The right way to wear the belts
It is not only important to wear the belts but also how one wears them.
Automobile expert Tutu Dhawan says, “Make sure that the lap and shoulder belts are tightly secured across the stomach and rib cage without slipping off, as these parts are better able to brace up and absorb the shock.
The most common mistake we make is to place the top belt near our necks and the bottom across our hips, leaving the crucial torso unprotected.
The right fit is important.”
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