Anand Mahindra and Sonu Sood criticise for using the back seat belt after Cyrus Mistry's death

The discussion over the significance of road safety in India and the wearing of rear seat belts while driving has been reignited by the passing of billionaire and former Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry in a traffic accident. Cyrus Mistry was not using a seat belt while riding in the back seat of a Mercedes-Benz SUV, according to the preliminary inquiry. Even though it is against the law to not wear a seat belt when riding in a moving vehicle, lack of enforcement and knowledge causes the majority of commuters to disregard the rules.

Cyrus Mistry may have survived if he had been buckled up in the backseat, according to experts. Airbags aren’t much of a help when you’re in the rear seat, but not wearing a seat belt can throw you around, and a severe whiplash injury at high speed may be very dangerous and even fatal.

I resolve to always wear my seat belt even when in the rear seat of the car. And I urge all of you to take that pledge too. We all owe it to our families. https://t.co/4jpeZtlsw0

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 5, 2022

Seat belt on the rear seats should be as mandatory as it’s on the front seats.
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) September 5, 2022

According to Rule 138 (3) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), passengers in the back seats who fail to buckle up would be fined Rs 1,000. However, the majority of people either disregard or are unaware of this need. Even traffic officers seldom cite passengers in the back seats for failing to buckle up.

unsafe roads in India

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau’s “Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India – 2021” report, the majority (59.7%) of road accidents—which resulted in 87,050 fatalities and 2.28 lakh injuries—were caused by over-speeding. While more than 1.55 lakh people lost their lives in traffic accidents across India in 2021, it was noted that reckless or risky driving, as well as overtaking, were responsible for 25.7% of those incidents, which resulted in 42,853 fatalities and 91,893 injuries.

According to Kamal Soi, a member of the National Road Safety Council, India has adequate road safety regulations to guarantee traffic safety; the issue is how effectively they are applied. He said, “There is widespread corruption in road building, which results in substandard, hazardous roads that cause numerous accidents and deaths.