Seatbelts may look like they don’t have much of a function in a car but in case of an accident, not wearing the seatbelts can be the difference between life and death. Seatbelts are extremely important and not only the front passengers but the rear passengers also need to wear the seatbelts to ensure the safety of everyone in the car. However, the Indians hate fastening the seatbelt and come up with various excuses. India’s leading car manufacturer – Maruti Suzuki surveyed a bunch of people and here are the top five reasons that everyone gave for not wearing the seatbelts.
No such law
Most of the car passengers in the rear seat do not wear a seatbelt and the reason behind it is quite obvious – the law does not say so. The Indian motor vehicle laws only mandate the driver and the co-driver to wear the seatbelts while the rear passengers can be without them. It is not known why the law has been made like this but an unsecured person in the rear seat can hit the front passengers during the accidents and it can cause some grave injuries. Everyone in the car including the rear passengers should wear a seatbelt.
Seatbelts do not look good
We are not sure how did people reach this conclusion but there are many who think that wearing a seatbelt is not masculine enough. As much as 40% of the surveyed respondents said that the seatbelt is not good for their image. Many also said that wearing the belt makes them look timid. That’s not all. Many also think that the co-passengers in the car will consider as a coward if they start using the seatbelts.
No awareness
As many as 34% of the respondents who were surveyed by Maruti Suzuki said that they do not believe that wearing the seatbelt will prevent injuries during accidents. Also, many do not actually know how a seatbelt works and how it can protect them during accidents. Well, the simple logic of the seatbelt is to keep the body of the occupants securely against the seat to minimise the injuries. Not wearing a seatbelt can throw the front passengers towards the windshield causing head injuries and the rear passengers hit the front passengers. It can be a gory image without the seatbelts in place during an accident.
Age and lifestyle
The younger generation usually stays away from seatbelts and many of them said that they actually do not like the seatbelt on them. 80% of singles said that they do not like to wear seatbelts while 66% of married people surveyed said the same thing. As many as 50% of married couples without kids also do not like to wear seatbelts.
Crumpled clothes
Seatbelts can crumple the shirt and that’s the reason 32% of the surveyed people gave for not wearing a seatbelt. Crumpling of clothes is the only reason these people gave as reasons for not wearing seatbelts. However, this problem can be solved easily by using seatbelt cushioning that has a soft cover to save the shirts from crumbling.
Also Read: What is important when buying a used car | Km or Age?