Wearing a seat belt is one of easiest ways of protecting drivers and passengers when travelling in a vehicle.
Seat belts protect vehicle occupants in a number of ways – by decreasing the time it takes them to come to a stop in a crash; by spreading the impact force over a greater area of the body; by minimising contact with the interior of the vehicle; and by preventing them from being ejected from the vehicle.
Research suggests that using a seatbelt can reduce a vehicle occupant’s risk of death by at least 40% (Australian Transport Council 2008).
Yet despite seat belt laws extending back 40 years or more, every year approximately 38 people are killed in road crashes in WA while they were not wearing a seat belt. This is a concerning statistic.
What if I am only driving a few blocks?
It doesn't matter if you are only travelling a few kilometres – most road crashes happen close to home and even at low speed, the act of not wearing a seat belt can cause serious injury and death. A crash at 40 km/h is similar to falling from a two-storey building onto concrete.
While continued public education about the importance of wearing seat belts and enforcement of seat belt laws should continue, improved vehicle features also help in wearing rates. Seatbelt reminders (light/sound devices) are effective, as international research suggests that drivers of vehicles fitted with advanced seatbelt reminder systems had a 99% seatbelt wearing rate (Australian Transport Council 2008).
And let’s not forget our children – from infancy onwards, there are strict guidelines on how to buckle them up and keep them safe in our vehicles.
For info on the 2010 child restraint laws in WA: click here
Issues