Too many needless deaths 25 years after seatbelt law

Twenty-five years after a successful RoSPA campaign to introduce the first seatbelt law, around 370 people a year are still being killed in road crashes because they do not wear a seatbelt.

Well over 50,000 lives have been saved by seatbelts since 1983. But Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "It is shocking that a stubborn minority of people still do not belt up when they get into a vehicle. Research shows that about a third of car occupants receiving fatal injuries are not wearing seatbelts.

"We need to understand why they are still not getting the message and to ensure there are regular targeted campaigns so that deaths and injuries continue to reduce.

"It may be that some people simply forget to wear their belts and need to be encouraged to get into the habit. Others may not feel they are necessary or that it is not 'cool' to wear one. Perhaps it is time to consider giving drivers three penalty points when they fail to wear their belts."

The first seatbelt law came in 25 years ago tomorrow (Thursday, January 31) after RoSPA's then President, Lord Nugent of Guildford, won the day for compulsory wearing in the front seat of cars by introducing an amendment to the Transport Bill in the House of Lords. A law making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in the back of cars was introduced in 1991.

"Thousands of lives have been saved by seatbelts thanks to RoSPA and Lord Nugent's efforts," Kevin Clinton said. "Unfortunately, while around 94 per cent of people in the front of cars wear their seatbelts - and that is still too low - only about 70 per cent of adults wear them in the back.

"As television advertisements have shown, an unbelted rear seat passenger can be thrown forward and kill someone in the front of a car. In a crash at 30mph, if unrestrained, you will be thrown forward with a force of between 30 and 60 times your own bodyweight.

"There is also a big problem with van drivers (69 per cent wearing rate) and their passengers (58 per cent) and we need employers to do more to ensure their drivers and other employees put on their seatbelts.

"Recent car seat laws have done more to protect children, but adults need to set an example by wearing their own belts so that children understand the true value of seatbelts as they grow too big for a child restraint."