Safe driving rules

The tragic death of the former head of Tata Sons Cyrus Mystry in a car crash has brought the issue of car safety features to the centre stage of policy discourse on road safety. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari's announcement that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) will make six airbags in all cars and seat belt alarms mandatory in all cars will require the government to push the required amendments to Motor Vehicle Rules. The proposed amendments will require a strong legal mechanism to prevent automakers from cutting down safety features in cars launched for India's price-sensitive market. It is a paradox that cars, vans and taxis account for the second highest percentage of fatalities and injuries in road accidents, after two-wheelers in the country, buyers, as well as automakers, continue to compromise with basic safety features such as using seat belts and airbags. Data from the 'Road Accidents in India 2020' published in March this year shows that 11.5% of fatalities and 11.2% of injuries in road accidents were on account of drivers and passengers not fastening seat belts. Such negligence left 7810 drivers and 7336 passengers dead, and 16,622 drivers and 22480 passengers injured with most of them grievously injured in 2020. In the same year, 'over speeding' accounted for 72.5 per cent of road accidents, 69.3 per cent of total deaths and 73.4 per cent of total injuries, therefore, mandatory use of seat belts and provision of airbags could have significantly reduced the fatalities and injuries on Indian roads. Poor awareness levels of drivers and passengers about the science of working on safety features often lead to developing a false sense of safety without using those. Often compliance with the mandatory wearing of seat belts is to avoid paying fine than to ensure their safety. Use of alarm blockers by some car owners/drivers to stop the safety system from sounding the warning beep when the seat belt is not fastened demonstrates that such drivers and passengers the seat belt is not about safety but an add on feature, they can use only when they feel like using it. As Airbag is a device installed to supplement the safety belt and restrain system in power-driven vehicles, its deployment could be fatal or cause grievous injury to a passenger if the seat belt is not fastened. In the event of a severe impact, the airbag automatically deploys and provides the intended cushioning with the passenger seated and restrained by the seat belt from being thrown forward. The current motor vehicle rules in India make the use of airbags and seat belts mandatory for the driver and the passenger in the front seat. Cars having airbags for drivers made mandatory from July 1, 2019, and for a front passenger from April 1, 2021. The government made the wearing of seat belts on all seats, including the rear seats in 2019 and its violation, attract a fine of Rs 1000 under Rule 138 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. People ignoring the mandatory provision and authorities not enforcing it demonstrates the level of awareness not just among passengers but also among police and other enforcing authorities. The decline in the number of fatalities and injuries due to non-wearing of seat belts in 2019 and 2020 compared to 2018, however, indicate that enforcement of seat belts and airbags for the driver and front seat occupant has raised the awareness level to some extent but figures continuing to be on the higher side there is little room for complacency.

Non-wearing of seat belts killed 24,435 drivers and passengers in 2018 and 20,885 in 2019. Assam, however, presents an alarming picture of fatalities and injuries surging indicating weak enforcement as well as poor awareness level. Compared to 83 fatalities and 202 injuries in 2019, the year 2020 saw 160 fatalities and 297 injuries including 270 grievous injuries due to non-wearing of seat belts which call for urgent attention of enforcing authorities and prioritising advocacy among people on the use of seat belts and airbags to save lives and reduced fatalities and injuries in car mishaps which create a huge burden on the state economy. The Central Government has already issued a draft notification on making six airbags for all cars with eight seats including the driver which are used in carrying passengers. Final notifications will require the automakers to make necessary provisions but their worries of prices going up on account of additional safety features and affecting adversely the price-sensitive markets may cause some delays. Besides, retrofitting all safety features in old cars is often not feasible which means that a significant percentage of cars will still ply without those until the owners buy new models equipped with mandatory safety features. Safe driving and government ensuring road safety through regular and proper maintenance and repairing of all roads, safety signages also need to get equal priorities.