Amazon has reportedly removed all the products that disable car seatbelt alarms. Recently in an interview, Nitin Gadkari discussed planned safety measures. He also noted how metal clips available on different e-commerce platforms let people stop seatbelt alarms and the government has asked Amazon to stop selling these products
“People buy clips from Amazon to evade wearing seat belts. We have sent a notice to Amazon to stop,” he said.
Now if you search for Seatbelt Alarm Blockers on Amazon, you will not see any such product. The company has also promised to take strict action against sellers who sell products that violate Indian laws.
After the death of Cyrus Mistry in a car accident, there is a big debate on road safety, the use of seat belts, and the inclusion of 6 airbags in cars. Mistry was in the rear seat and wasn’t wearing a seat belt which cost him his life. In India, people sitting in front seats are required to wear seat belts but rear seat passengers can avoid it.
It is worth noting that there is a fine of Rs. 1000 under Rule 138 (3) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) for passengers not wearing a seat belt in a rear seat. Most people do not know about it and don’t use a seat belt in the rear seat. Traffic policemen also rarely warn passengers for not wearing seat belts in the rear seat.
Lakhs of people die every year in road accidents in the country. One person dies of road accidents every minute in India. If you look at the stats for 2022, people killed or injured due to not wearing a seat belt are 15,146 and 39,102, respectively.
Now the transport ministry is thinking to rework on the country’s road safety policies and make rules even more strict. Ministry has asked e-commerce giants to stop selling seatbelt alarm blockers. It is also planning to make it mandatory for all passengers to wear seat belts. Car companies will also be asked to ad seatbelt alarms for rear seaters.
