Delhi: Crackdown on defaulters, 17 fined for not wearing seat belts

New Delhi, Sep 14: The Delhi Traffic Police on Wednesday issued 17 challans to people for not wearing seat belts in the rear seats of cars, officials said.

The police conducted a drive on the Barakhamba Road near Connaught Place in central Delhi to ensure compliance.

"A total of 17 court challans were issued during the drive from 11 am to 1 pm under Section 194B (use of safety belts and the seating of children) of the Motor Vehicles Act," a senior police officer said.

The offenders were fined Rs 1,000 each, the police said.

The drive comes after former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry (54) died in a road accident in Maharashtra's Palghar district on September 4. According to police, Mistry, who was sitting in the rear, was not wearing a seat belt.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Traffic) Aalap Patel said, "The legal provisions were already there but it has become a topic of discussion after the recent incident (Mistry's death)."

"The Delhi Traffic Police is already running a campaign to spread public awareness regarding (the importance of) wearing seat belts. We are also taking legal action," the officer said.