[vr46]

Yes, same in the UK, I grew up without seat belts and then in the 1980s, they became a thing - "clunk-click, every trip" - and then only much later, compulsory for rear passengers.

It's step-by-step, building on top of the previous thing, slowly inculating into the population the respect for life and how it's the responsibility of every person, company and government. You belt up, cars add airbags, the government improves roads and traffic management. If all of those things are in place, things get better. In India, it's very much "god will protect me".

My own attitude changes so bizarrely when I'm in India. In Europe it's belt up, put your helmet on, and in India, let's all get into this Autorickshaw and hurtle through traffic. I must be mad.

[rightbyte]

What was the reasoning behind that. In the front seats you could fly out the window? But not in the rear seats?

[cafard]

I imagine people thought that the back of the front seat would stop the rear-seat passengers. You should also remember that dashboards were every hard, and that windshield glass would rip you to shreds.

[mongol]

You can also fly out of the window, but especially you will hurt whoever is in front of you. See for example https://youtu.be/9_Af8w2SAT4