Back
Almost a quarter of all road traffic fatalities between 2016-2020 involved people not wearing seatbelts
29 August 2022
The latest statistics from the Department for Transport reveal that 24 per cent of car occupant fatalities in Britain between 2016 and 2020 involved people not wearing a seatbelt – an offence which carries a £500 fine.
Breaking this figure down, 28 per cent of male fatalities were the result of not wearing a seatbelt compared with 16 per cent of female fatalities.
Interestingly, the research also found that the largest group of drivers involved in a fatal crash whilst not wearing a seatbelt were those aged between 17 and 29 (32 per cent).
The time of day also appeared to have an effect, with 39 per cent of fatalities in which a seat belt was not worn occurring between the hours of 20:00PM and 06:00AM.
A spokesperson for the RAC said, “Astonishingly, almost a quarter of all road traffic fatalities involved occupants not wearing seatbelts. This stark statistic singularly underlines just why seatbelts are a legal requirement, so it’s a real worry that many people still choose not to belt up. The fact compliance is much lower for those in the backs of cars – who are less likely to be protected by airbags – and for those who ride in taxis is equally shocking.
“As seatbelts are probably the single biggest life-saving device ever introduced into vehicles, it’s vital the Government, local authorities and the police continue to reinforce this message. Today’s new figures beg the question as to whether a nationwide communications campaign to promote seatbelt use should be rolled out and whether existing laws are a sufficient enough deterrent.”
Contract hire, fleet management and accident management specialists
At Marshall Leasing, passenger safety is a top priority. We pride ourselves on providing in-depth accident management services to our fleet customers in order to keep their drivers safe on the road.
You can find out more about our risk management services here.
If you talk to us about how we can assist, please email us at info@marshall-leasing.co.uk or call 01480 414541. Alternatively, please complete our contact form.
Back