3 out of 4 don’t wear seat belts

Three in four vehicle users, including the driver and passengers do not wear seat belts, leading to at least 15 deaths every day, according to a study by Maruti Suzuki. The study stated that nonusage of seat belts among female drivers was the higher at 81 per cent compared to 68 per cent for men.

According to the study, weak legal enforcement was the topmost reason for vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts. About 27 per cent respondents had negative image perceptions and the belief that seat belts ruin clothes.

Another 23 per cent did not consider seat belts as a safety device.

What drove those who belted up were mostly not safety concerns. Over 80 per cent of the respondents revealed that the fear of fines and police action were the primary reasons for wearing seat belts.

The study found that over 90 per cent drivers in Nagpur wore seat belts and over 80 per cent in Jaipur and Chandigarh. These three cities were placed at the top in the survey.

According to the regionwise report, only 11 per cent respondents in the southern states used seat belts followed by the eastern states at 22 per cent.

Mumbai led the charts in front passengers wearing the seat belt at 79 per cent, followed by Jaipur and Chandigarh.

The overall use of seat belts by rear passengers stood at a low four per cent.