Banned Seatbelt Stoppers Sold Openly In City

Seatbelt alarm stoppers, banned nationwide in 2023, continue to be sold openly in city markets. The ministry of road transport prohibited them after finding that failure to wear seatbelts was a major factor in the 16,000 fatal accidents reported across the country that year. Following the ban, large e-commerce platforms delisted over 13,000 such products at the direction of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

Despite the ban, these stoppers, priced between Rs 150 and Rs 300, are available at car accessory shops in Ramkote, Begum Bazaar, Old City and Secunderabad. When Deccan Chronicle visited one such shop on the Minister Road, opposite to a private hospital, the accessory manager did not even hesitate before giving it away. He pulled out a small, shiny, red-coloured, metal alarm stopper from his drawer. When asked for the price, the manager was ready to sell it for `100 higher at Rs 400. When asked for a reason for selling it for a higher price, he cited “high demand”.

Road safety experts warn that bypassing the seatbelt alarm puts lives at risk. “This is not a convenience tool; it is a death trap. Even low-speed crashes can turn fatal without a seatbelt,” said Naresh Raghavan, a road safety and driver education coach. He added that dangerous vehicle accessories such as musical horns, high-beam lights and alarm stoppers continue to be sold openly with little fear of enforcement.

What is often an overlooked danger is the effectiveness of airbags in a car if a seatbelt is not fastened. Although modern cars facilitate the usage of airbags without the seatbelt being fastened, the practice is usually dangerous as the occupant may be thrown forward with great force, resulting in either severe injury or death. The traffic police remained inconsistent with their answers and many even said they never cared enough about the issue.

A road transport authority official from Khairtabad division said, “If we receive complaints or find such accessories during checks, we raid the showroom or counsel the driver. We do not independently raid local shops, as they also fall under municipal jurisdiction. Authorised outlets inspected by us were not found to stock such items.”