A video from Islamabad is making rounds on social media after a man was seen using his trouser belt as a makeshift seatbelt to avoid getting an e-challan.
According to the clip, the man’s car seatbelt was allegedly not working, so he looped his belt across his chest to make it look like he was buckled up. He then confidently showed it off on camera, turning what should’ve been a safety reminder into a viral “life hack”.
As expected, social media is split. Some users are calling it peak desi “jugaad” and laughing it off, while many others are calling it reckless and dangerous, pointing out that a belt worn like this offers zero real protection in an accident.
This isn’t the first time people have tried to outsmart the cameras. A “seatbelt T-shirt” trend has also popped up, where people wear shirts printed with a diagonal strap design to appear belted on footage.
Authorities have already warned that these tricks do not count as compliance and won’t protect drivers from penalties.
Authorities in Pakistan have been actively issuing e-challans for seatbelt violations using smart surveillance cameras in all major cities including like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad to name a few.
Fines for not wearing a seatbelt are being reported around Rs. 7,500, and officials have warned that repeatedly ignoring unpaid e-challans can lead to administrative action, including potential issues like blocked IDs/services.
Drivers can verify seatbelt e-challans through official portals such as the Punjab Safe City Authority and the Islamabad Traffic Police websites.
The seat belt fine in Punjab is Rs. 5,000.
What kind of system have they built where users have to check if they have been fined or not.
Send us a f*** message.