Patna: Next time you drive your car, ensure that you are wearing the seat belt or be ready to pay a fine followed by cancellation of your licence.

The transport department had decided to launch a special drive of wearing seatbelts while driving. The drive would be launched from Wednesday. Initially, it will start from Patna and then in other cities of Bihar. The fine will be Rs 100 and repeated offences will lead to cancellation of the driving licence.

Transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said: "The violation of the provisions of Rule 138 (3) which talks about norms for wearing seat belts is an offence punishable under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, with a fine of Rs 100 for the first offence and up to Rs 300 for the second and subsequent offences. In case the offence is repeated, the licence would be cancelled."

Agarwal said as per Rule 125 (1), the manufacturer of all motor vehicles other than motor cycle and three-wheelers of engine capacity not exceeding 500CC shall equip every vehicle with seat belt for the driver and for the person occupying the front seat.

Agarwal said: "Once people start following the rule, the number of casualties will go down because like helmets, seat belts, too, save the lives of persons driving the car. It would be checked that apart from the person in the driver's seat, the person on the front seat must also wear the belt."