'People think back-seaters don't need belt': Nitin Gadkari after Cyrus Mistry's death
Nitin Gadkari said six airbags will soon become mandatory in all cars and there is no question of compromising on international standard of road safety.
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the mindset of the common man needs to change to increase road safety. "People think back-seaters don't need belts. It is the problem. I don't want to make any comments on any accident. But both front-seaters and back-seaters need to wear seat belts," the minister said as he was addressing IAA's Global Summit - Nations As Brands. "Forget the cars of common people, I had travelled in the cars of 4 chief ministers -- don't ask me the names. I was in the front seat and found that there was a clip so that it does not make any sound when there is no belt. I asked the drivers where the belts were and made sure that I wear the seat belt before the car started," Nitin Gadkari said. “Now I have banned the manufacturing and sales of such clips,” the minister said. Cyrus Mistry death: Here’s a list of other high-profile accidents
The ministry is taking the help of Bollywood stars, cricketers and media to spread awareness about this, the minister said.
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The comment comes as former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died in a car accident on Sunday. The police probe revealed that Cyrus Mistry was in the backseat of the car and was not wearing a seat belt. The car was overspeeding before it hit a road divider on a bridge over the Surya river on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.
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"The accident of Cyrus Mistry is very unfortunate and a great shock to the country. He was a very good friend of mine. Our problem is that every year in our country we have 5 lakh accidents and 1 lakh 50 thousand deaths. And out of these deaths, 65% belong to the age of 18 to 34," the minister said.
"The Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway is a very dangerous one. I completed the work when I was a minister in Mumbai," the minister said presenting his new vision to reduce the traffic density. Cyrus Mistry's car met the fatal accident on this Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway.
"This is the only negative point in my ministry where we are expecting a lot of success but are not in a good position. We are the second largest road network in the world. Only 2% is national highways...all metro cities need ring roads. Both population and the number of cars are increasing which is not in our hands," Gadkari said.
On mandatory 6 airbags
The ministry is working towards making six airbags compulsory in all cars, Gadkari said. "The same manufacturers put 6 airbags when they export those cars. Then why do you put only 4 airbags in Indian cars? Don't our lives have any values? An airbag costs only ₹900 and when the number increases, the cost will only come down," the minister said.
'4 people on a scooter'
Talking about the mindset of people regarding road safety, Nitin Gadkari said when he was in university, he too rode on a scooter with three other people. "I don't feel good as I say this. But I was a leader in the university and we used to ride 4 people on a scooter. The last person was asked to keep his hands on the number plate," Nitin Gadkari said.