Some say “Rules are meant to be broken”. Is it the element of thrill or the feeling of being superior which at times gets reflected in our attitude? Road safety rules are made for the benefit of us, yet we tend to break them at times. Probably what we fail to foresee is that it is our life which is at stake. Had it been that we were blessed with more lives just like in a video game, we could have afforded to break these rules and play on. But, life is once and if not for us, atleast think about the others on the road.
People in China have gone a bit further ahead in order to break the rules, specifically the seat-belt rule. For reasons unknown, most of the drivers in China hate to wear seat belts. The police have already reported a large number of cases where the drivers are thrown out of the car during a collision since they do not wear the seat belt. The authorities are on a rampage to track down such drivers and fine them so that people start following the rules which are meant for their own safety. However, yet again it has been proved that “Force Never Works”.
Instead of following the rules, drivers in China have come up with alternative solutions to fool the seat-belt reminder systems as well as the police. One has always the option of buckling the seat belt behind their backs but that makes the seating very uncomfortable. Thus, now something called the belt-heads without belts have been designed. Just insert the head in the slot and no more indicators asking you to fasten your belt. Interestingly, these belt-heads come in different designs to choose from.
But that again, doesn’t solve the problem of the cop tracking you down without a belt. Thus, to counter that, t-shirt companies have come up with t-shirts which have a graphic of a belt in the front which runs from shoulder to the hip, making it look like a fastened seat belt. Well, these would cost you just $8. Perhaps, people there are ready to spend on these fooling devices just to avoid wearing a seat belt which could some day save their lives during an unforeseen situation. Good that in our country, atleast for the fear of being fined, most tend to follow the rules. Traffic and road safety rules are made for you. Follow them for your own benefit.