Seatbelts
Too many lives are being lost on Scotland’s roads because people do not always wear a seatbelt every time they get into a vehicle.
2010 focus
Everyone involved in road safety in Scotland is concentrating their efforts throughout 2010 on reminding motorists about the benefits of wearing a seatbelt every time they’re in any vehicle.
While seatbelt compliance rates are 95%, it’s estimated that 14% of adults don’t wear their seatbelts every time.
Statistics
It is estimated that 1 in 3 people who are killed in vehicles are not wearing seatbelts, and half of them could have been saved had they worn them. On average, police in Scotland catch 27,000 people a year not wearing their seatbelts.
'Have you Clicked?' campaign
This campaign, coordinated by Road Safety Scotland, is about reminding people to wear their seatbelt every time and consists of working in partnership with road safety partners, businesses and communities across Scotland. Police forces around Scotland have targeted seatbelt campaigns where motorists will be stopped and checked to ensure that both they and their passengers are wearing seatbelts.
Road Safety Scotland and the Scottish Government will also press the case with the UK Government to make non-seatbelt wearing an endorsable fine – one which attracts licence penalty points in addition to the current fine.
Research
The Department for Transport have produced a study on car accidents and how people are injured in road traffic crashes. More can be found on the DfT website.
For in-depth information on why people do not wear seatbelts, see Simon Christmas' 'Strapping Yarns' research report.
