Seat belt alarm to be made mandatory in cars

New Delhi, Sep 21

The Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway has issued draft rules making installation of alarm systems mandatory in all seats of the cars.

As per the proposal, seat belt reminders or alarms will be mandatory in M and N category vehicles, with audio-video warning in case the seat belts, including the rear ones, are not worn.

Besides, there will be a speed alert system to check over-speeding and manual override for the central locking system.

"Safety-belt reminder" means a system dedicated to alerting the driver when the driver and all other front-facing seat occupant(s) do not use the safety-belt. The system is constituted by a detection of an unfastened safety-belt and by a driver's alert which is a first level warning and a second level warning.

"First Level Warning" means a visual warning activated when the ignition switch is engaged (engine running or not) and the driver's and front-facing seat occupants' safety-belt is not fastened. An audible warning can be added as an option, said the proposal. "Second Level Warning" means a visual and audible warning activated when a driver operates a vehicle without fastening of driver and front-facing seat occupants' safety-belt.

The draft rules also said that for M and N category vehicles, reverse parking alert system will be applicable. 'M' category vehicles are the ones with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers, while 'N' category vehicles also have four wheels, but are used to carry goods and may also carry passengers.

As per the notification, the last date for public comments on draft rules for thre car makers is October 5.

Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari has time and again emphasised on the need of seat belts for all the occupants in the car.