Record 89% wearing seatbelts in cars

MORE motorists are wearing seatbelts than ever before, but there has been a sharp fall in the number of rear seat passengers who use the life-saving equipment.

The annual seatbelt survey by the Road Safety Authority shows that a record 89% of all car occupants wore seat belts last year — up 2% on 2007 figures.

However, the rear-seatbelt wearing rates fell by 6% in 2008 to 78%.

Women continue to be more likely to wear seatbelts than men. Female drivers are twice as likely to be belted up than men, while only seven out of 10 male rear seat passengers wear seatbelts, compared to 83% of females.

Commenting on the results, Road Safety Authority chief executive Noel Brett expressed satisfaction with the overall improvement in rates, but added that the level of use of seatbelts by rear seat car passengers was a cause for concern.

“While it is encouraging to see adult front seatbelt use increasing and more schoolchildren buckling up, it really is cause for concern when adults continue to sit in the back seat of a car unbelted,” remarked Mr Brett.

He pointed out that 18% of all back seat passengers killed in 2007 were not wearing a seatbelt. “It really does not get much clearer than that,” Mr Brett added.

The authority said many car users continued to put their lives at risk by not wearing seatbelts despite studies showing that two-thirds of people survive car crashes if they’re belted up.

“Front seat passengers are 2.3 times more likely to be wearing a seatbelt compared to rear seat passengers,” states the report.

Worryingly, drivers are also less likely to be wearing a seatbelt on quieter, rural roads, even though they are also the most common type of roads for fatal and serious injury collisions to occur.

The overall seatbelt wearing rate of 89% is a record high and shows a dramatic improvement over the past decade as the rate was just 55% in 1999.

On another positive note, there were also improved rates of seatbelt wearing by schoolchildren in rear seats.

Rates for primary schoolchildren are now 74% — up 4% on the previous year, while 72% of secondary schoolchildren who are rear seat passengers now belt up — a 9% improvement on 2007 results.

The survey of 17,000 adults and more than 4,300 schoolchildren was carried out at 108 locations around the country.

The results also suggested that all drivers were more likely to wear a seatbelt if the front seat passenger is also belted up.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey welcomed the record high compliance rate contained in the findings.

“Wearing seatbelts saves lives. That’s a fact. It is reassuring to see that most people have got that message but a persistent few just aren’t listening. That killer behaviour has to change,” said Mr Dempsey.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Eddie Rock said gardaí would be mounting extra checkpoints over the August bank holiday weekend that would include the monitoring of compliance with the requirement of all car passengers to wear seatbelts.

Drivers face up to four penalty points and a maximum fine of €800 if convicted in court of failing to wear a seatbelt or failing to ensure passengers under-17 are adequately restrained. Adult passengers over-17 detected not wearing a seatbelt are liable for an on-the-spot fine of €25.

A total of 55,393 penalty point notices have been issued to drivers for failing to water seatbelts in the first six months of 2009. An additional 7,117 notices have been issued to drivers for failing to ensure child passengers wore seatbelts.