Karnataka makes seatbelts mandatory for all occupants in a vehicle, effective immediately. The fines have also been doubled, and repeat offenders can attract double the amount in fines.
Karnataka has announced that seat belts are mandatory for all occupants in cars or SUVs, effective immediately. The order stated that all occupants in a passenger vehicle that can carry up to 8 people must wear seatbelts.

The rule follows the Central government’s order from 19 September 2022 mandating all passengers to wear seatbelts. According to the rule in Karnataka, the fine for first-time offenders is Rs 1,000, while a second offence will attract a fine of Rs 2,000 and above. To date, only passengers in the front seats were mandated to wear seatbelts in Karnataka.

The government brought about the rule after Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole lost their lives after a car accident on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. Both passengers were seated in the back seat, without wearing the seatbelt. The driver and the passenger in the front seat of the Mercedes-Benz GLC survived since they were strapped in.
As for the rule in Karnataka, the government and police officials are still under confusion as to what the rules are with passengers sitting in side-facing seats in SUVs. Carmakers like Mahindra and Force make vehicles that have side-facing seats with no seatbelt provisions.
No matter which row a passenger is seated in, they are still in the same car as the ones seated in the front and travelling at the same speed. Often, passengers at the rear are prone to more injuries as they are seldom aware of the road conditions ahead and won’t have enough time to brace themselves.

Also, passengers sitting in the middle, between the driver and passenger seat at the rear have nothing to stop them. This can lead to serious injuries and at times, even being hurled to the windshield of the vehicle. The rule for all occupants to wear seatbelts should have been implemented a long time ago, along with the rule that mandated the driver to wear a seatbelt.