India – To drive home the importance of seatbelt usage, the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department (MMVD) has launched a new campaign using reflective tape on commercial vehicles to promote seatbelt use during Road Safety Awareness Month.
MMVD’s ‘The Buckle Hack’ initiative uses mandatory reflective tape on commercial vehicles to promote seatbelt use. The campaign features buckle-shaped stickers integrated into the reflective tape, turning commercial vehicles into moving reminders for drivers to buckle up.
This design modification repurposes a standard safety feature into a visible awareness tool, aiming to encourage responsible driving habits and reduce road casualties.
The initiative responds to alarming statistics showing that only 25% of motorists in India wear seatbelts, contributing to 83% of car occupant fatalities. This comes despite numerous traditional media campaigns promoting seatbelt safety.
Speaking about the campaign, Bharat Kalaskar, additional commissioner at the 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.”
Launched in the last week of January, MMVD’s initiative will run across several cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about road safety and encourage motorists to adopt safer driving habits to help reduce traffic-related casualties.
