SEAT BELTS - BELT UP!

Figures from a recent survey show that 40% of motorists admit to not wearing their seatbelt when behind the wheel. This staggering statistic becomes known in a recent poll, which also reveals that just 35% of back seat passengers belt up when travelling in the rear of the car.

Alarmingly, almost half of those questioned admitted that they do not wear their seat-belts when in the front passenger seat, highlighting the need for greater awareness of the dangers of not wearing both front and rear seat-belts.

Although 70% of respondents said they ensure their front seat passengers wore their seatbelts, only a fraction of these actually adhered to this advice. Similarly, over 65% insisted that their rear seat passengers belted up, whilst the actual truth revealed a far more worrying statistic.

The Highway Code clearly states that a car's occupants must wear a seatbelt if one is available, unless you are exempt. In addition, the driver must ensure that all children under 14 years of age wear seatbelts or sit in an approved child restraint.

These statistics are shocking, particularly in light of hard hitting Government advertising campaigns, which show the tragic consequences of an un-belted rear seat passenger. The fact is that in the event of an accident where the occupants of a car are not wearing seatbelts, they risk serious injury, if not death. Some of the greatest injuries inflicted on the driver or front seat passenger result from rear seat passengers not wearing a restraint. Even at a relatively slow speed, the force of a person being thrown forward in an accident can prove lethal.

Everyone must be aware of the dangers of not wearing seatbelts and mot...