JOIN USA lesson to learn from Mistry tragedy
The untimely and tragic death of former Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry and his friend Jahangir Pandole in a car accident at Palghar in Gujarat on Sunday has again drawn attention to the lax safety measures and rules for car passengers in the country. Both of them were travelling in the back seat of a luxury car and did not wear their seat belts and were thus sitting ducks when the car hit a divider on the road and crashed. The driver and the other passenger on the front seat were saved as they had worn their seat belts. The need for wearing the seat belt comes into focus and is discussed whenever an accident occurs but is soon forgotten. Most people neglect it and some unfortunately come to grief. Mistry and his friend may have been saved if they had worn their seat belts.
The wearing of seat belts is mandatory under the Motor Vehicles rules, but the rule is observed mostly in the breach. A survey has shown that only 7 per cent of the respondents used rear seat belts and only 27 per cent were aware of the rule. People sitting in the front seat may wear it because of the warning beeps that tell them to do so. Seat belts and airbags are necessary and should be made mandatory for all cars. They act together, with the belt holding the passenger in place and the air bag cushioning the passenger against the impact of the crash. Often, the passenger crashes against the front seat at the time of the accident, as it might have happened in the case of Mistry.
Car companies have resisted the proposal for introduction of seat belts on rear seats and air bags for all cars on grounds of economy. They have argued that the additional safety measures will raise the cost of cars. But the argument is unacceptable because safety features have to be considered an essential requirement for cars, just as their seats and tyres are. This should be enforced by law. The enforcement of even the existing traffic rules is lax in the country and that is an important reason for the high rate of road accidents and casualties.
India leads the world in road accidents and fatalities, and according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 1.5 lakh deaths were reported in 2021. That was the highest toll on the roads after 2014. Apart from poor observance and enforcement of traffic rules there are many reasons, such as poor road designs and maintenance, the growing number of vehicles and over-speeding for the high rate of accidents. All these need to be addressed, and essential safety measures in vehicles should get the highest priority.