Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

Car companies told to provide rear-seat belts

BS Corporate Bureau

Come October, all new passenger cars and multi-utility vehicle manufacturers will have to fit their vehicles with seat-belts in the rear seat as well. As per an official statement issued in New Delhi on Thursday, "All motor vehicles, to be manufactured after October 2002, shall be equipped with seat belts in the rear seat."

Much to the surprise of most of the motorists, the statement says, "The central government has already mandated wearing of seat-belts in the front seat, while the vehicle is in motion."

This, when a majority of motorists in even the Capital (where pollution and traffic safety norms are fairly stringent compared with the rest of the country) do not wear seat-belts, while their cars are moving. In late-1990s, the government had mandated that all passenger cars and MUVs come factory-fitted with seat-belts for the front seat passengers.

Most mid-segment and luxury cars available in the country already have seat-belts for the rear seat passengers. However, almost all the small cars, including Maruti 800, Maruti Zen, Alto, WagonR and Tata Indica, have seat-belts only in the front seats. This notification will ensure that all the small cars, MUVs and even vans, like Maruti Omni, come factory-fitted with seat belts in the rear seats.

As per the statement, both the Central and the state governments have powers under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, to restrict the speed of a motor vehicle in the interest of overall public safety.

The central government has prescribed maximum speed limits in respect of various class of motor vehicles in July 1999, it added.

Powered by

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
The Rediff-Business Standard Special
The Budget 2001-2002 Special
Money
Business News

Tell us what you think of this report