Digital Desk: Nitin Gadkari, the
Union minister for highways and road transportation, told Reuters that the
Union government has requested that Amazon stop selling gadgets that turn off
seat belt alarms. He added that this request was made owing to "possible
safety implications."
Gadkari in an interview said that "meta clips available on Amazon are inserted in seat belt slots to
bypass the alarm that usually keeps pinging when seatbelts are not in use while
a car is being driven."
"People purchase these clips in
order to avoid wearing seat belts. We have instructed Amazon to cease selling
these, he added.
The senior minister's comments come
after his announcement earlier this week that the government has decided to
outlaw all types of seat belt alarm stoppers across the nation.
The usage or non-use of seat belts
in cars has been a hot issue of debate following the death of industrialist
Cyrus Mistry in a car accident on September 4 near Mumbai. The local police
claimed that Mistry, who was seated in the back seat, did not fasten his seat
belt, citing an early investigation.
Gadkari said on September 6 that seat belt use will be required for all passengers, adding that those who disobey the law will face consequences. The minister added that the government will also require rear seatbelt beepers.
India imposes a $1,000 punishment per person for failing to use a seat belt, whether in the front or the back. The law is rarely followed, though.
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