Emphasis on seatbelts for St Patrick’s weekend

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority have revealed that one fifth of drivers and passengers killed in road crashes last year were not wearing seatbelts.

The figures were revealed as the two organisations launched their road safety campaign for the St Patrick’s weekend, which will see an increased Garda presence on the country’s roads. One of their main focuses will be on non-compliance with the wearing of seatbelts.

A 2013 Road Safety Authority study of seatbelt-wearing rates among 20,000 car users found 94% of drivers, 93% of front passengers, and 89% of rear passengers wore their seatbelts. Women were found to be more compliant than men, with 97% of female drivers belting up compared to 92% of males; 96% of female front passengers compared to 90% of males; and 93% of female rear passengers compared to 84% of males.