Published: Wednesday, 12th August, 2009 8:10am

Motorists belt up more but rear passengers fail to

The rates of seat-belt wearing in Ireland are at record levels, according to figures published recently by the Road Safety Authority.

A survey,conducted in 2008 among 16,999 adults and 4,316 primary and secondary schoolchildren across the country, revealed the following:

At 89%, overall seatbelt wearing rates for adults (drivers, front and rear passengers) are the highest ever recorded;

However, rear seatbelt wearing rates for adults in 2008 have fallen by 6% to 78% since 2007;

Rear seatbelt wearing rates for primary and secondary schoolchildren have increased by 4% and 9% respectively on 2007 figures.

The survey also reveals that 90% of drivers are now wearing their seatbelts, representing an increase of 2% on the 2007 figures and an increase of 35% on wearing rates recorded ten years ago in 1999. Female drivers were found to be two times more likely to wear their seatbelts when compared to male drivers.

Despite the overall increase in wearing rates for adults, rear seatbelt use has decreased significantly from 84% in 2007 to 78% in 2008. In addition, female passengers were found to be more likely than male passengers to belt up in the back of the car, with wearing rates of 83% and 71% respectively. The survey also shows that front seat passengers are 2.3 times more likely to wear their seatbelt when compared with rear seat passengers.

Commenting on the findings, Noel Brett, Chief Executive, RSA said: "While it's encouraging to see adult front seatbelt use increasing and more schoolchildren buckling up, it really is cause for concern when adults continue to sit in the back seat of a car, unbelted. In 2007, 18% of all back seat passengers killed were not wearing their seatbelts. It really does not get much clearer than that."

"2 out of 3 people will survive a crash if they're belted up yet every day, people put their lives at risk by getting into a car and not wearing their seatbelt. This is about making choices, not about making excuses. You can make the choice to be responsible and ensure everyone, including you, is wearing their seatbelt or you can choose to be a risk-taker, and risk killing yourself or your loved ones.

Return to: Homepage | News Index | This article