Seat belts mandatory for rear seat car passengers: Paytm boss praises quick corrective measures, Snapdeal co-founder calls it 'excellent move'

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry's sudden demise after a deadly car crash shocked the entire nation.

The 54-year-old businessman, along with his friend Jahangir Pandole, was killed when his vehicle hit a road divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district. He was in the rear seat and wasn't wearing a seat belt.

In light of recent events, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari decided to enforce mandatory road safety norms.


On Tuesday, he said that seat belts will be mandatory for all passengers in the car, including the occupants in the rear seat. Passengers not following this mandate will soon be penalised.

"A notification will be issued in the next three days that if one doesn't wear a seat belt while sitting on the rear seat of a car, he or she will be penalised. After the tragic case of Cyrus Mistry, I have decided that there will be an alarm for seat belts on the rear seat like the driver's seat. A penalty will be imposed for not wearing a seat belt while sitting on the rear seat of a car," Gadkari said while talking to the media.

Currently, a majority of people sitting in the rear seat of a car avoid wearing seat belts. Gadkari's comment came two days after Mistry's demise.

The minister's proposal to change road safety norms received a thumbs-up from the India Inc bosses.

Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma praised the Government of India and Gadkari for taking quick corrective measures.

"India will have obligatory back seat belts (warning and challans) in 3 days! Applauds to government/Gadkari to take a stand and corrective measure so fast," his tweet read.

Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl also lauded Gadkari's excellent move. Alongside a simulation video of how Mistry's crash took place, the entrepreneur-investor wrote, "No further explanation needed after one sees this 3-second crash video."

Earlier, shocked by Mistry's death, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra vowed to 'always wear' his seat belt even when he is travelling in the rear seat of the car. "I urge all of you to take that pledge too. We all owe it to our families," he wrote.

It's time for all passengers to wear their seat belts.