Maruti Suzuki Conducts Study On Road Safety

According to the Road Accident Report published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 5,638 lives in could've been saved in 2016 had the occupants worn seatbelts. Maruti Suzuki and Kantar Group surveyed 17 cities and a diverse demographic to figure out what stops people from buckling up and revealed the top five excuses.

32 per cent of participants said that they'd wear a seatbelt if it were mandated. According to the Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1989, all passengers in front-facing seats are required to wear the safety belt if the vehicle is in motion. Cops should start slapping a fine on occupants and drivers alike for not wearing seatbelts.

A false social stigma also surrounds the belt as those wearing them come across as unsure of their own driving skills. 23 per cent of those surveyed confessed to succumbing to this social pressure. Another lame excuse has to do with style: 22 per cent of members said that they avoid belts as it adds wrinkles to their dress.

19 per cent of the contributors had fallen prey to advertising and the lack of proper education. They are aware of the need to have more and more airbags but aren't quite aware of the dangers it poses. Airbags by themselves don't make a car safer. Also termed as SRS, short for Supplemental Restraint System, they’re designed to 'supplement' the seatbelt. They could be the cause of death if the passengers aren't buckled up at the time of the crash. So no matter how many airbags your car has, they're all useless if you're not appropriately restrained.

According to the survey, the fifth most common reason for not wearing seatbelts has to do with our ancestors; monkey see monkey do. We tend to behave like those around us do. 18 per cent of participants said that watching their friends and family played a crucial role in moulding their habits as those around them tend to neglect seatbelts too.

Maruti Suzuki has started taking safety very seriously in the recent years. All of its Nexa cars get two airbags, ABS, front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters and ISOFIX child seat anchors as standard equipment. The same features are available as standard in the new Dzire and will be offered in all variants of the next-generation Swift as well. With the airbags in place, the next step for Maruti Suzuki is to educate its customers so that what's designed to save lives doesn't end up taking lives. With the latest initiative called “#PehniKya”, the carmaker is increasing awareness among drivers and occupants to encourage the use of seatbelts regardless of where they sit in a car.