Have you & your passengers belted up?

Research has shown lately that half of drivers aged 18-24 have admitted driving a car while with someone who is not wearing a seat belt over the last year. this has been taken from a survey of 2,000 drivers, conducted by road safety charity Brake. The survey was published on the 36th anniversary of wearing of seat belts becoming compulsory in the UK.

These results have come after latest casualty statistics from the Department for transport showed that 27% of the 787 occupants who died in 2017 were not wearing seat belts. This shows that 212 lives that could have been saved if a seat belt was used, that is more than four people every week. this is in comparison to 20% in 2016.

Failing to wear a seat belt is not only putting lives at risk but come with a on-the-spot fine of £100, which can rise to £500 if the case goes to court.

RAC road safety spokesperson Pete Williams said the figures should prompt government action.

“Buckling up takes seconds and saves lives, and it is difficult to comprehend why a driver or passenger of any age would choose not to do this and put themselves at risk. Perhaps young drivers feel they are so cocooned in modern vehicles that boast a myriad of safety features that they don’t need to worry about the basics like using a seatbelt, and it might also explain why many people continue to believe they can safely multitask while driving, like using a handheld mobile phone. Younger drivers are disproportionately involved in accidents and these findings should perhaps be a prompt to the Government to try and understand on a deeper level why this is the case and what can be done the reduce collision rates among drivers of this age.”