Seatbelts not worn by millions 30 years after compulsory laws were introduced

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Seatbelts not worn by millions 30 years after compulsory laws were introduced

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Published: 31 January 2013

MILLIONS of drivers continue to risk their lives and those of their passengers - 30 years after wearing seatbelts became mandatory in the UK.

"We must not become complacent over seatbelt wearing," explained Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). "Seatbelts are highly effective in protecting vehicle occupants and significantly reduce the risk of being fatally or seriously injured in a crash."

Volvo is predicting crash-proof cars within the next seven years:

Of the 37 million motorists in the UK, five per cent ignore the 'clunk-click' law introduced on this day 30 years ago - January 31, 1983.

Clunk Click

Members of the public frequently complain about the colossal number of impatient taxi drivers who drive off straight away when they enter the car - without enough time to fasten a seatbelt.

Nils Bohlin - developer of the three-point safety belt (1959).

Since 1965, all cars manufacturers have had to install seat belts but it only became compulsory for drivers to use them 18 years later. In 1991, the law was amended to make it compulsory for adults to wear safety belts in the rear seats.

It is estimated around 60,000 lives in the UK have been saved since the legislation came into force three decades ago. Those aged between 17 and 34 are more likely to flout the law, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists' Simon Best.

Safety Belt

Mr Clinton added: "We must not become complacent over seatbelt wearing; seatbelts are highly effective in protecting vehicle occupants and significantly reduce the risk of being fatally or seriously injured in a crash."

There is evidence to show that seatbelt use in Great Britain remains high, with 95 per cent of car drivers and front seat passengers complying with the law. But RoSPA is concerned that seatbelt use is lower in the rear of cars (89 per cent) and in the front seat of other vehicles (69 per cent).

"As television advertisements have shown, an unbelted rear seat passenger can be thrown forward and kill someone in the front of a car," Mr Clinton explained. "In a crash at 30mph, if unrestrained you will be thrown forward with a force of between 30 and 60 times your own bodyweight.

"Ultimately, the benefits of seatbelts need to be promoted, and the perceived reasons for not wearing seatbelts reduced, particularly when it comes to educating children. Adults can set an example by wearing their own seatbelts so that children understand the necessity for them as they grow older."

Safety Belt

Volvo now predicts that within seven years, all cars will be crash-proof and contain state-of-the-art pedestrian protection technology.

Volvo Car UK's Managing Director Nick Connor commented: "Volvo has a fantastic safety heritage at the forefront of innovative technology having clocked up several world firsts including the debut of the pedestrian airbag on the all-new V40 launched last year.

"As a nation of sceptics, it is perhaps not surprising the majority of British motorists think the introduction of vehicles which make accidents virtually a thing of the past is not possible but I have every faith in Volvo to prove them wrong!"

Volvo first introduced the two point cross-chest belt as an accessory in 1956 followed by the 3-point belt in the front as standard equipment in 1959. Three decades of research and development means predictions of auto-piloted, self-driving, crash-proof cars on our roads by 2020 may not be all that farfetched despite the doubts of the majority of motorists surveyed by the company.