Business

Mumbai Police alerts car users, issue challan for not wearing rear seat belt from this date

October 14, 2022
Bharat Times

Strengthening road safety, the Mumbai Police on Friday issued a statement making it mandatory for drivers and passengers to wear seatbelts in four wheelers from November. Based on the statement, the driver will be punished as per law if he is found without seatbelt while driving. It should be noted that the police department is working towards increasing road safety, and the latest notification adds to the efforts. Announcing the update, Mumbai Police cited the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, section 194(b)(1), which makes the driver liable to punishment for not wearing a seatbelt.

The Mumbai Police statement read, “As per the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, whoever drives a motor vehicle without wearing a safety belt or not wearing a seat belt to passengers is punishable under section 194 (b) (1).” In addition, the Mumbai Police warned drivers to wear seatbelts in their vehicles, which do not already have this feature. Such vehicle owners have been given time till November 1, 2022.

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“Accordingly, a period up to 01/11/2022 is being given for installing seat belts in motor vehicles which do not have seat belts for all passengers,” the statement said. The statement further read, “Therefore, all motor vehicle drivers and all passengers in vehicles, whoever travel on Mumbai city roads, are hereby informed that, for drivers and all passengers traveling from 01/11 onwards, It will be mandatory to wear seat belt at the time./2022. Otherwise action will be taken under section 194(b)(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.”

Last month, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways made it mandatory to wear seatbelts in cars. The Union Minister said, ‘Now it will be mandatory for all the people sitting in the car to wear a seat belt.

Nitin Gadkari’s announcement came after the fatal road accident of former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry. After the death of Cyrus Mistry, experts and critics have uncovered loopholes in transportation and traffic control systems, including laws governing car seatbelts.