The importance of seat belts

Friday, 12 March 2010

It is second nature for most drivers and car passengers to buckle up as soon as they get in a vehicle, however a small minority continue to put the lives of both themselves and others at risk by not putting on a seat belt.

The damage that can be caused by failure to wear a seat belt was recently highlighted by a hard-hitting THINK! campaign from the Department for Transport, which showed that if people crash while not wearing a seat belt they actually experience three collisions, even when travelling at relatively slow speeds.

Firstly, the car crashes and comes to a stop, secondly - because there's nothing to stop you moving - your body carries on and hits the inside of the car, and finally, you stop but your internal organs keep moving, hitting the inside of your body and possibly rupturing under the force of the impact.

Road safety minister Paul Clark said: "If you are involved in an accident while not wearing a seatbelt then your body experiences a series of three collisions damaging vital internal organs. This campaign reminds drivers that - no matter how short their journey or how slowly they are driving - they are risking their life if they set off without putting their seat belt on.

"I hope this campaign will help everyone realise that they need to belt up every time they get in a car."

According to figures released during the THINK! campaign, people are twice as likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a seat belt and a massive 353 lives could be saved annually if everyone belted up.

However, despite these shocking statistics, some people still continue to go out and about without a seat belt. Figures show that while very few people never wear a seat belt or regularly travel without one, 24 per cent of people admit to sometimes not belting up when they are sitting in the back and ten per cent occasionally don't use a seat belt while either driving or sitting in the front passenger seat.

There is also evidence that people are less likely to use seat belts on short or familiar journeys or at low speeds, despite the fact they are still at risk of crashing.

Aside from the obvious dangers of not wearing a seat belt, anyone not belting up could find themselves in trouble with the law. Since 1983 it has been compulsory for both drivers and passengers sitting in the front of a vehicle to wear seat belts. Laws passed in 1989 and 1991 making it illegal for children and then adults sitting in the rear of a car not to wear a seat belt.

Drivers are liable for prosecution if a child under the age of 14 is in their vehicle and not wearing a seat belt.

Failure to comply with seat belt laws results in a £500 fine, although no points are put on people's driving licence. Being caught not wearing a seat belt can also affect any claims against people's motor insurance cover.

In addition to making sure they are fastened in themselves, adults also have a responsibility to ensure that any young infants are in the correct form of child restraint.

According to the law on car safety seats, until their third birthday children must always be seated in the correct form of child restraint for their weight when in a vehicle. It is illegal to carry a child in a rear-facing child seat in the front.

Once a child is over three, they must use the correct restraint where seat belts are fitted until either their 12th birthday or they reach 135cm in height.

So how can we encourage others to wear their seat belts?

Sadly, there is little people can do to encourage other drivers not to put themselves at risk by wearing their seat belt whenever they are in the car. However, research does suggest that if one person in a vehicle belts up the other passengers will follow suit.

Obviously, regardless of whether people are wearing a seat belt themselves, they should be wary of the fact other people may not be.

Sticking to the speed limit, being aware of potential changes to traffic and regularly carrying out safety maintenance such as checking brakes and tyres can all help people stay safe on the road and ensure they never need to test their seat belt's effectiveness.

© Adfero Ltd

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