Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a horrific and unfortunate road accident on Sunday (September 4) after the car he was travelling in crashed into a divider. The Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV he was sitting in was driven by a doctor in the Maharashtra’s Palghar district, as the vehicle with 4 occupants involving Mistry, 54, was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. As per the preliminary probe by the police, Cyrus Mistry and Jahangir were seated in the back seat of the vehicle and were not wearing seat belts. He also said that over-speeding and the “error of judgement” by the driver caused the accident. Both Mistry and Jahangir died in the accident, while both front occupants, who were wearing seat belt survived the crash.
Why seat belt is important?
Time and again, it has been proven that airbags act as a crucial difference between life and death. While it is mandatory to wear front seat belts in India, rear seat belts are not taken that seriously, although there are laws against occupants for not wearing a seat belt. The awareness of wearing seat belts has increased over the years, especially in the front seats and it’s no more seen as a measure to fend off traffic challan.
A video by highly reputed Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showcased what impact on the rear seat passengers in case of an accident. According to the institute, 90 percent of the people don’t wear a safety belt across the globe, especially when travelling by taxi or ride-sharing service. Here’s a video that highlights the importance of seat belts in the rear seat.
How safe are rear seat passengers?
An IIHS senior research engineer, Jessica Jermakian, stated that for most adults, riding in the back seat is far safer than at the front, if only they are buckled up. While people know the importance of wearing seat belt in the front seat, there’s still a denial for buckling up at the rear. In the Indian context, lack of awareness and enforcement results in the people not wearing seat belt at the rear.
In the event of a crash, a rear passenger without seat belt may be pushed forward with severe force and can cause injury or fatality to the front occupant as well. This phenomenon is clearly demonstrated by the crash test dummies in the video. If not wearing seat belt, a passenger will be prone to hit hard surfaces even toss out of speeding car if door opens leading to life regrettable injuries.
*Note: We advice our readers to realise the importance of wearing seat belts at the back seat.