New Delhi, May 12: The central government on Friday has taken action against five major e-commerce platforms for the online sale of car seat belt alarm stopper clips, citing violations of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Notably, the stopper clips disable the alarm beep that reminds drivers to wear their seat belts, potentially compromising the safety of consumers.
This development came after the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) headed by chief commissioner, Nidhi Khare, passed orders against — Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Snapdeal and Shopclues — for violation of consumer rights and unfair trade practice.
"The issue of the sale of car seat belt alarm stopper clips came to the notice of CCPA by the Department of Consumer Affairs through the letter of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The letter highlighted the issue of blatant sale of car seat belt alarm stopper clips and requested for action on errant vendors / online platforms and issuance of an advisory," the consumer affairs ministry stated in the press release.
It further said that wearing seat belts is required by Rule 138 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. However, online purchases of such devices that endanger passengers' safety by turning off the alert sound while they are not wearing seat belts might be hazardous to customers' lives and safety.
A maximum of 8,095 such alarm clips have been delisted by Amazon, followed by Flipkart (approximately 5,000) and Meesho (21) from their platforms.
"It is imperative to say that using car seat belt alarm stopper clips can also be a hurdle for consumers seeking claim amounts in the cases of motor insurance policies, wherein an insurance company may deny the claim by citing the negligence of the claimant for using such clips. Using a seat belt also acts as a restraint that allows the airbag to provide proper cushion and not hit the passengers at full force which also works as a protective shield in case of collisions," it further added.
After several recommendations and reports submitted, CCPA issued directions to the e-commerce platforms to permanently de-list all car seat belt alarm stopper clips and associated motor vehicle components which compromise the safety of passengers and the public. They were also directed to give the steps taken against errant sellers of such products and submit details of the sellers along with a compliance report on the directions.
The government is already thinking of a ban on car seat belt alarm stopper clips. Here is the explainer-
What is a seat belt alarm stopper and how does that work?
The car seat belt alarm stopper clips had become the talk of the town after former Tata Motors chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a car accident last year in September who was driving a Mercedes from Ahmedabad to Mumbai when it collided with a road divider and struck a retention wall.
Clips called seat-belt alarm stoppers are used to silence the beep that serves as a reminder to the driver and passengers to buckle up. According to DriveSpark, the attachment "fools" the seat belt-locking system into thinking every person in the vehicle has worn seatbelts once it is fitted into the seat belt buckle.
The majority of vehicles in India include front-passenger seat belt warning devices. Some even stop moving if the front passengers are not properly belted, but the backseat passengers do not have access to such a safety feature, according to HT Auto.
Nitin Gadkari announced all types of seat-belt beep-alarm stoppers will be banned
The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Nitin Gadkari, reportedly declared that the government would ban seatbelt beep-alarm stoppers. He had announced that all types of seat-belt beep-alarm stoppers will be outlawed since Cyrus Mistry's death has put the Center in a difficult position regarding traffic safety.
Gadkari was reported by HT as saying during the International Advertising Association Summit, "We would not permit any compromise on any global standards on road safety and this involves all aspects, road as well as cars. I have decreed a prohibition on the production and distribution of seat belt stopper clips."
A senior member of the transport ministry acknowledged the directive and promised that a notice outlawing seat belt stopper clips will be "published soon." Gadkari added, "I am also working on extending the range of cameras put on our roadways to detect and penalize people not wearing their seat belts inside a car."
The Union Minister emphasized the need for seat belt use for both front and backseat passengers, describing the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway where Mistry's accident occurred as "extremely dangerous." According to NDTV, he claimed that efforts to enhance road safety would be "fruitless" without the support of the general public.
Seat belts a must for safe driving
According to a recent survey from MoRTH, more than 16,000 people died in road accidents owing to not wearing seat belts in 2021, with 8,438 of them being drivers and the remainder 7,959 being passengers. Furthermore, 39,231 people were hurt, with 16,416 of them being drivers and 22,818 being passengers.
Young individuals aged 18 to 45 account for more than one-third of all road accident victims, the survey revealed.
The penalty for not wearing a seat belt is Rs. 1,000.