India is the 2nd highest populated Country after China. So, there is a high density of traffic prevailing on the roads of our country. Some extremely congested roads in India result in a lot of accidents. According to the Global Status Report on road safety by WHO in 2019, it is estimated that more than 151,113 people were killed in road accidents in India.
Driving in India is considered dangerous by many experts. Because of the increase in the number of accidental road deaths, the government of India came up with an updated and more strict Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act in 2019. This Act was passed to promote the culture of safe driving in India. As part of the amendment, heavy fines have been introduced, so that no one can violate traffic rules. But before we talk about fines, let's discuss the importance of wearing a seat belt.
Importance Of Wearing A Seat Belt
Seatbelts are important safety features that, like airbags, help to protect a driver or passenger in case of an accident. People who do not wear seatbelts while driving put themselves in great danger. In addition to severe injury, not wearing a seat-belt could also hurt your motor insurance claim, if you will be involved in an accident.
Wearing a seat belt have many benefits such as:
It restrains the strongest parts of the body that is shoulder and hipsIt spread out the force of a collision over a wide area of the bodyHelps the body to slow down from an abrupt changeIt protects two vulnerable part of your body, i.e., your brain and spinal cord
Fine For Driving With No Seat Belt
According to the laws, the driver and the co-driver in the front seats must wear seat belts in India. However, there is no such law for passengers in the rear seats. Driving without a seat belt now amounts to traffic safety violations for which violators can be fined.
Due to the recent implementation of The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, the penalty for not wearing a seat belt has increased from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1,000 in India. The main aim of increasing the fine is to build a sense of fear in drivers, which will positively reduce the number of deaths in road accidents.
Motor Vehicle Insurance In India
Due to the increase in the number of road accidents, Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, has made bike and car insurance necessity in India. If you don’t have a bike or car insurance, you have to give fine as part of the 2019 Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act. The fine was increased from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 as per the amended bill.
You should buy car insurance online from reputable insurers as it provides financial support in case of the potential damage that they may sustain during accidents.
We all should be a responsible citizen of this country and wear seat belts. Wearing a seat belt will not ensure your safety but the safety of the people around you.