We all know that with each new year comes change, but perhaps one of the biggest changes that Myanmar citizens will have trouble adjusting to in 2017 is the act of having to do the unthinkable and actually wear their seatbelts.
Although plans for more serious seatbelt laws were announced last year, December was deemed a ‘warning’ month, with police letting off passengers not wearing seatbelts with just a stern caution. Now, however, they’re getting down to business.
Starting on January 1, drivers and passengers inside any motor vehicle with seatbelts — not just personal cars — will be required to wear said seatbelts, or face arrest and a fine ranging from MMK30,000 to K300,000.
But that’s not all. Police will also use video footage from the CCTV cameras installed at traffic lights to find and consequently charge any citizens who aren’t wearing their seatbelts. New vehicles will also be subject to an inspection to ensure that all its seatbelts are in working order before it can be officially registered.
‘Those who drive wearing seatbelts naturally develop the habit of using them. Seatbelt laws are for the good of the citizens — they help prevent serious injuries and deaths. Currently, the majority of people don’t wear seatbelts,’ Lieutenant Colonel Aung Ko Oo of the Myanmar Police Force’s Traffic Division told 7Day Daily.
Most citizens view the act of wearing a seatbelt as a nuisance, instead opting to use small clips to disable their seatbelt alarms. While innovative, such a tactic can also prove to be deadly.
According to the National Road Safety Council, failure to wear a seatbelt is the main cause of motor vehicle deaths in the country.
