The road transport ministry has issued draft rules requiring car manufacturers to install an alarm system for rear seat belts, similar to those used for front seats.
The rules seek to replace the standard for “driver and co-driver safety belt reminder” with “driver and all other front facing seat occupant’s safety belt reminder” in the requirements for safety features of passenger carrying vehicles. According to the ministry’s notification, public comments on the draught rules are due by October 5.
Following the death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a car accident, the government is looking to enforce the use of rear seat belts. According to police, he was sitting in the back seat without a seat belt.
All occupants of a vehicle are required by law to wear a seat belt, or face a fine. However, passengers in the back rarely do, and enforcement is lax.
Draft rule
The draft rule requires automakers to install a “safety-belt reminder” or a system dedicated to alerting the driver when the driver and/or all other front-facing seat occupant(s) fail to use the safety belt.
The system is constituted by detection of an unfastened safety-belt and by a driver’s alert which is the first level warning, and a second level warning, it said.
“First level warning shall be at least a visual warning activated for 4 seconds or longer when the driver and/or front facing seat occupants’ safety-belt is not fastened and the ignition switch is engaged,” it added.
