The lives of passengers sitting on back seats are as precious as those sitting in the front seats. Keeping the safety of city residents in mind, the Chandigarh traffic police have decided to moot a proposal to make wearing seat belts mandatory even for passengers on the back seat.

The police department will soon write to the Ministry of Surface Transport to bring out the required notification in order to implement the proposal for the safety of the passengers.

Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Hardeep Singh Doon said there have been accidents in the city in which passengers sitting at the back have sustained injuries while the driver and his co-passenger have escaped unhurt thanks to seat belts.

“In Europe, it is mandatory for passengers in the back seat to wear seat belts. In Britain, too, rear seat belt usage was made compulsory in 1991. We are sending a proposal to the Ministry of Surface Transport and hope to get a positive response,” he added.

Quoting a study, traffic police officials said it has been found that people in the front seat are five times more likely to die in an accident if the rear seat passengers fail to put on their safety belts.

“Without the seat belt, passengers in the rear are thrown forward with such force incase of a collision that front seat occupants are at much greater risk of being injured or crushed to death,” the SP told Newsline.

Officials added after a nod from the ministry, they will launch an awareness drive to educate people about the safety aspects of the seat belt for rear passengers as well.

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