Safety Not First: Only 25% Indian Drivers Wear Seat Belts

Nearly 25 percent of people who don’t wear seat belts in India said it ruins their clothes!

Only 4 percent of passengers in India wear seat belts in the rear seat, according to the Maruti-Kantar Group survey. 

(Photo: iStockphoto)

India has the highest number of road accidents in the world. In 2016, more than 1,50,000 people were killed in accidents in India alone, an increase from 146,000 the previous year. This is according to a report from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH).

Cars are getting faster and safer, but car drivers and passengers are not taking advantage of the safety features on offer.

Shocking statistics from a survey conducted by Maruti Suzuki and Kantar Group (Millard Brown and IMRB) show that seat belt usage in India is as low as 25 percent among passenger vehicle users (car drivers, co-driver, and rear seat passengers). In 2016, as many as 5,638 people died in India only because seat belts were not used, according to data from the MORTH.  

Seat Belt Usage in India

Only 25 percent of all car users wear seat belts

Only 12 percent of passengers wear seat belts when seated in a cab

Only 29 percent of respondents said they wear seat belts in the front seat

Only 4 percent of respondents admitted to wearing seat belts always in the rear seat

Of the 75 percent who don’t wear seat belts regularly, 32 percent said they wear it sometimes (mainly due to law enforcement).

And among those who don’t wear seat belts in the car, the top excuses were quite absurd. Here’s an infographic that lists the top reasons for NOT wearing a seat belt.

Nearly 25 percent of respondents who don’t wear seat belts said it ruined their clothes. (Photo: Maruti Suzuki)

Around 32 percent said they don’t wear seat belts because of weak legal enforcement, and 27 percent said wearing a seat belt impacts their image (not macho enough?). Another 25 percent said it ruins their clothes!

A total of 2,505 respondents across 17 cities in India, including metros and tier two cities, were covered in the survey. In fact, similar shocking statistics have emerged from a Save Life Foundation survey earlier this year. Watch the video below:

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