THE STORY OF THE SEAT BELT

OWe are so caught up with the glamour of fast and sleek luxurious cars, that more often than not, we take our safety for granted ne of the greatest virtues of living in Chandigarh is the serious practice of following traffic rules. So if you’re in any part of the country and you see somebody furiously searching for the seat belt when the car engine starts, you can mock him derisively and say, (Oh, you are from Chandigarh it seems). It’s almost like saying, “You idiot, you don’t fit in here”.

Tying the front seat belt is second nature to most of us. Whenever I travel by a cab, I insist on knowing if the seat belts in the front and rear work.

(Yes, the car is equipped with seat belts). And imagine my horror every time that when the cab arrives and the rear seat belts are missing. Either they’re clipped away or hid under the darkest corners of the seat making it virtually impossible for a human to detect it. So when you complain as you sit on the backseat, the taxi driver looks at you as if saying, “You weirdo! What’s wrong with you? C’mon, we’ve all heard about the front seat belts, but the belts at the back too. Grow up lady!”

And I have tears in my eyes. Tears, because I have lost such a precious life that the entire nation mourns for. Tears for a vision that was our hope, our succor, our inspiration in dark and despairing times. And a little voice in my head asks if the tentacles of death would have relented if Jaspal Bhatti, my husband, had been wearing the seat belt sitting in the rear. And the greatest irony was that he did wear the rear seat belt always. Just that one day, his fatigue overtook his wisdom and we lost our brightest star.

After my husband’s tragic demise, a classmate of his in the US, Neeraj Kant, advised me to take up the cause of the front and rear seat belt. And with our family pushing it through and the support of the Chandigarh Traffic Police, we were able to make Jaspal Bhattiji the brand ambassador of the Chandigarh Traffic Police. His vision and work has enlightened millions, but if his going away could inspire somebody to put on his seat belt, Jaspalji will truly become eternal. It’s a cause worth fighting for.

But why does only a tragedy inspire us? We should be making safety our priority even when we are well and happy. I want to scream from rooftops about saving precious lives by just merely wearing the belt, but it is as if my voice is lost in the chaos. Why does my loss not inspire the cab driver or the travel company to ensure that all their taxis have the mandatory seat belts keeping in mind that they know me so well?

We Punjabis are so caught up with the glamour and ‘showshaa’ of fast and sleek luxurious cars, that safety becomes a sign of weakness for us. We may spend lakhs on getting a elite number for our car, but we do not spend a moment to think about jumping red lights, honking like a madman if not given way or furiously changing car lanes as if we’re starring in the

And we are paid back in the same coin by having the highest number of fatalities on the road in the country.

Most of us in India wear the seatbelt for the welfare of the traffic policeman. We don’t want him getting unnecessarily upset or debating with strangers on whether to issue a challan or not. So when we see him from the corner of our eye, we quickly buckle up and while passing him give the brightest ‘I’m the always-follow-the-traffic-rule-kind of guy’ smile.

We are so truly optimistic that not only do we flout the seat belt rule, but also make our children game to the entire transgression. So if you’re a Pappu, and Mrs Pappu is lovingly seated next to you, there are hundred percent chances that little Pappu will also be dancing in her lap, drooling his saliva all over. Some over-ambitious Pappu’s take the title a step by making their little one sit on their lap on their driver’s seat. Their pride has no end when the little one also tries holding the steering wheel along with daddy dear. SAVITA BHATTI WE MAY SPEND LAKHS ON GETTING A ELITE NUMBER FOR OUR CAR, BUT WE DO NOT SPEND A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT JUMPING RED LIGHTS, HONKING LIKE A MADMAN IF NOT GIVEN WAY OR FURIOUSLY CHANGING CAR LANES.

little Pappu drove the car today. He is on his way to become a pilot now). Yes, Mr Pappu, sure, why not! Provided he’s alive by the time he’s 20.

This quote sums it beautifully, “Safety is the cheapest and most effective insurance policy”. Be safe. Wear the seat belt. Contact the author at