A new report has found 24 percent of all car occupant fatalities on UK roads involved people not wearing their seatbelt between 2016 and 2020.
Of those who died in car accidents, the report from the UK Government's Department for Transport found 28 percent of the male fatalities were as a result of not wearing a seatbelt. The number was just 16 percent for women.
It was also found the most likely age group to not wear a seatbelt during a fatal crash was ages 17 to 29.
Currently, not wearing a seatbelt in Scotland will land you a fine of up to £500. Following this report, some are saying that more needs to be done to promote seat belt usage.
A RAC spokesperson 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.”
The findings come alongside other worrying stats, for example there were 420 collisions on British roads in 2019 where the driver was using a mobile while in the driver’s seat. It was also found that those driving between the hours of 8pm and 6am were more likely to be involved in a deadly accident.
AA president Edmund King told the PA news agency: "The highest risk appears to be younger drivers at night not wearing seatbelts. They might feel invincible and cool sitting in the back of a car without a belt but even a relatively minor collision can throw them forward with the velocity of a small elephant.
"This not only endangers their lives but the lives of the front seat occupants. All drivers need to get into the habit of belting up in the back to protect themselves and others."
Do you think more severe punishments be brought in to tackle dangerous driving? Let us know in the comments.
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