Seatbelt Safety

It doesn't matter if you're taking short trips or driving at slow speeds, seatbelts save lives. On the 31st January 1983 by law it was required that all drivers are to wear seat belts. Last Thursday was the 30 year anniversary of this law being passed on seatbelt safety.

Since 1965 car manufacturers have had to install seat belts, however, the law requiring drivers to wear them did not come into force until 18 years later. The law changed again in 1991 making it a legal requirement for adults to wear seatbelts in the back of cars.

Not long after the compulsory driver seatbelt use law was implemented in 1983, it was found that 90% of car drivers and front-seat passengers were observed wearing seatbelts. Since this time the high rates of seatbelt wearing in the front seats of cars have been maintained.

In 1991 when it became compulsory for all rear-seat occupants to wear seatbelts, there was an instantaneous increase from 10% to 40% in observed seat belt wearing rates.

Always wear a seatbelt - evidence has shown that up to 300 lives would almost certainly been saved in 2007 if all occupants within a car had been wearing their seatbelt. That is approximately one life a day!