ROAD SAFETY - Wearing Seat Belts
Seat Belts - The Facts
Between 2006 and 2008, 87 people died in road traffic collisions in Bedfordshire. 51 of these were drivers and passengers who should have been wearing a seatbelt.
Almost half – 22 out of 51 – were not!
The compulsory wearing of seat belts saves lives and reduces injuries. It is as simple as that. If you get caught by the Police driving without a seat belt you will be issued with a fixed penalty notice that will cost you £60. It's a non-endorsable offence so you won't get points on your licence, but the £60 will hurt none the less.
I have heard younger drivers say that belting up isn't cool, but I suspect that neither is extensive treatment for a serious facial injury after you have head butted the steering wheel, windscreen or dashboard.
Another frequently used excuse for not wearing a belt is, "You don't need one with airbags." Well, not all cars have airbags, and those that do may not have them fitted on the passenger side. At speed an unrestrained driver, even with an airbag, can still receive serious internal injuries, as the body is thrown forward and then suddenly stopped by the bag. So use the seat belt and make sure all your passengers do so as well.
Unrestrained rear seat passengers get thrown forward in an impact, just like the occupants of the front seats. Without a belt on they will smash into either the front seat head rests or the back of the head of the front seat occupant. The higher the speed of the vehicle at the point of impact, the higher the velocity with which the rear seat passenger will collide with the person in front. Moreover, if the vehicle should roll over, any unrestrained passenger will get thrown around the inside of the vehicle, or worse still, will get thrown out. This is a common occurrence if the tailgate or door flies open as the vehicle rolls over and the consequences are fairly self evident.
Many vehicle occupants have died as the result of serious head injuries caused in this manner, so play safe and make sure everyone in the car is belted in.