The Hindu : Ambiguous rules

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 13, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Ambiguous rules

Sir, — It was heartening to note that the Centre has decided to make seat belts compulsory for both front and rear seats in new cars from October this year. It is well known that wearing seat belts certainly reduces fatality in four wheeler accidents. But on the road, how does the policeman decide which is a new car? Will he be able to identify the new car by appearance or by the registration number? Such ambiguous rules give the policeman adequate scope to stop any vehicle and harass the motorist and argue and penalise anyone he wishes. Why not pass an order, which says that from a particular date (giving adequate allowance for the owners to fit them), every car immaterial of its make and year of manufacture will have to have seat belts and the occupants have to fasten them. No extension of deadline should be given.

In true sense, seat belts are useful in fast moving traffic, which is hardly seen in any city road, keeping in mind the unruly and undisciplined traffic and also the extremely bad condition of roads. Since vehicles are driven at high speed in highways, fastening of seat belts becomes really meaningful in highway driving. But there is no police to check this. At the same time, the dark suncontrol films, which do not allow the occupants to be seen, should be banned and only light coloured films should be allowed.

S. Devaji Rao,

Chennai

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