According to reports , the Goa police will soon be imposing a hefty fine of Rs 1,000 on motorists and passengers (including rear seat ones) for not wearing the seat belt. The new law comes closely on the heels of the tragic car accident at Palghar in Maharashtra , involving the deaths of an ex-chairman of Tata Sons and accomplice, who were not wearing their seat belts. Ironically, it required the death of a national celebrity to open the eyes of the Union Ministry of Transport to the dangers of driving and the need to protect precious lives of even ordinary mortals by insisting on the wearing of seat belts. Nothing new, as per past records. Nevertheless, it is hoped that the RTO in Goa will not put the new law to misuse by harassing motorists and passengers, as they were doing earlier, for helmetless driving and failure to wear the seat belt. I wonder how many lives they have managed to save by issuing challans just to fulifil their daily obligatory quota of fines. Road accidents is Goa are still on the rise due to reckless and drunken driving.
