Y-shaped safety belts to be mandated for all seats in car

Road Transport Ministry seeks stakeholder feedback

Soon, all seats in a car will be required to have a “three-point” or Y-shaped seat belt, including middle-rear seats, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.

The Ministry will issue a draft notification in a day or two to invite stakeholders’ comments following which the new rule will be notified, the Minister said at a press conference.

“Automobile manufacturers are given a choice between two-point and three-point seat belts. Now, we plan to make three-point seat belts mandatory as they are known to ensure better safety,” a senior government official explained. He added that all “front-facing” seats will be required to have this provision, including middle-rear seats.