Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department Kicks Off Latest Initiative for Safer Roads

Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department Kicks Off Latest Initiative for Safer Roads

Maharashtra, India – February 18, 2025:

In India, reports indicate that only 25% of motorists fasten their seatbelts and as a result, 83% of casualties among car occupants are due to not wearing a seatbelt. Despite numerous awareness campaigns, seatbelt usage remains alarmingly low.

To support the importance of road safety, the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department (MMVD) has introduced an innovative initiative—The Buckle Hack—a creative design hack that turns every commercial vehicle into a seatbelt reminder. The initiative incorporates buckle-shaped stickers into the reflective tape on commercial vehicles, ensuring a constant visual cue to encourage every motorists on the road to buckle up.

Through this pioneering effort, MMVD aims to significantly impact road safety, inspiring citizens to adopt safe driving practices and reducing the risk of casualties.

Speaking about the idea, Mr. Bharat Kalaskar, Additional Commissioner, Motor Vehicles Dept., Govt. of Maharashtra, said, “People often forget to buckle up, and that is a big cause of casualties and fatalities. This is an all-important reminder of the importance of seat belts for our safety, and we want this initiative to reach every driver in the State of Maharashtra.”

The campaign is part of Road Safety Awareness Month and is currently an ongoing initiative, being rolled out across various cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai. This simple creative improvisation, called ‘The Buckle Hack’ transforms a standard safety feature in commercial vehicles into a dynamic awareness tool, promoting responsible driving habits and saving lives.