Seat Belts: Time for Action

If the pattern of collision risk and collision survival were the same for both wearers and non-wearers we would expect 4% of those involved in collisions to have been not wearing a seat belts (based on the 2017 GB seat belt wearing rate of 96%).12 We know that, in a collision, non-wearers have around twice the risk of being killed (around 2.5 times the risk in the front and 1.6 times the risk in t. [...] After penalty points for seat belt non-wearing were introduced in Northern Ireland in 2007, seat belt survey data suggests that the wearing rate rose and overtook the rest of the UK (historically Northern Ireland has had lower seat belt wearing).16 This data supports the findings of seat belt survey data that Northern Ireland has the best record in seat belt wearing in the UK. [...] Action on seat belt wearing While seat belt wearing is the norm for the vast majority of vehicle occupants in the UK, the failure of a small percentage of vehicle occupants to wear a seat belt contributes to a high and disproportionate number of deaths and serious injuries. [...] The findings of this new report also further supports the findings of the previous report that Northern Ireland has the best record on seat belt wearing of any UK nation and that the rest of the UK should introduce penalty points for seat belt non-wearing. [...] The findings of this new report also further supports the findings of the previous report that Northern Ireland has the best record on seat belt wearing of any UK nation and that the rest of the UK should introduce penalty points for seat belt non-wearing.