Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho ordered to stop selling seat belt alarm stopper clips

Seat belt

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken action against the top e-commerce platforms in India for violating the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 by selling car seat belt alarm stopper clips. The CCPA has ordered Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho to stop selling the clips, which compromise the safety of consumers by stopping the alarm beep when the seat belt is not worn.

The Chief Commissioner of the CCPA, Nidhi Khare, headed the decision to issue the orders against these e-commerce platforms for violating consumer rights and engaging in unfair trade practices.

The issue was brought to the CCPA's attention by the Department of Consumer Affairs, which received a letter from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) highlighting the problem of car seat belt alarm stopper clips being sold and requested action against the errant vendors and online platforms.

Acting on the CCPA directions, e-commerce companies have delisted approximately 13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips from the platform.

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What does the rule say?

Rule 138 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 mandates wearing seat belts, and the online sale of clips that compromise the safety of passengers by stopping the alarm beep when the seat belt is not worn can be dangerous to consumers' lives and safety.

Insurance problems

It is to be noted that using car seat belt alarm stopper clips can create problems for consumers seeking to claim amounts in motor insurance policies.

If an insurance company finds out that the consumer was using these clips, they may deny the claim by saying that the consumer was being careless and not following proper safety guidelines.

Road accidents

Over 16,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2021 because they did not wear seat belts, according to the latest report by the MoRTH. Of these fatalities, 8,438 were drivers and the remaining 7,959 were passengers. In addition, about 39,231 people were injured, with 16,416 drivers and 22,818 passengers. The report also indicates that young adults between the ages of 18 and 45 made up more than one-third of all victims in road accidents.