98% of people click. 35% of road deaths don't.
Channel: Safe Roads Australia
Date: 2022-11-19

Wearing a seatbelt doubles your chances of surviving a serious crash, yet 1 in 3 road fatalities did not take the time to "buckle up". 

Wearing a seatbelt can save your life and that of your passengers. Driving only a few kilometres to the local shops with friends or sticking to the speed limit is no excuse not to belt up, with most road accidents happening short distances from drivers homes. 

Being involved in a crash at 40 kilometres an hour without wearing a seatbelt would feel the same as falling from a two storey building onto concrete. 

With an astounding 831 seat belt offences recorded for the recent Operation Distraction in July, the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) has launched a new campaign urging drivers and passengers to always buckle up.

MAC Chief Executive Officer, Jerome Maguire, is disappointed that more than forty years after seatbelt laws were first introduced in South Australia, people still continue to be killed or injured unnecessarily through their lack of use.

"Wearing a seatbelt doubles your chances of surviving a serious crash, yet there are road users who still travel unrestrained, putting themselves and others at much greater risk of death and injury."

"It is crazy the amount of lives that would be saved and injuries that could be prevented if only people would take a few seconds to 'buckle up'," Mr Maguire said.

With non-compliance amongst fatalities higher in regional areas, the "Belt Up" campaign will feature on 51 regional billboards across the State.

Road safety Minister Michael O'Brien said to not wear a seatbelt is like playing Russian Roulette -- particularly on high speed regional roads.

"In the last five years, an astounding 87 of the 108 people who lost their lives through not wearing a seatbelt were in regional South Australia," Mr O'Brien said.

"The real tragedy behind these figures is that some of these deaths may well have been prevented if the driver or passenger had been wearing their seatbelt."

Superintendent Bob Fauser, the officer in charge of Traffic Support Branch has made a strong appeal to all motorists to 'buckle up'.

"South Australian road users need to change their driving culture to stop people dying unnecessarily on our roads. It's very simple - don't speed, wear your seatbelt and don't use your mobile phone while driving. These are all simple things that can help reduce the road toll," Superintendent Fauser said.

Failure to wear a seatbelt carries a minimum fine of $324 + $60 victim of crime levy and the loss of three demerit points.

Lauren Garrett

Motor Accident Commission of South Australia (defunct) video, original can be found here: https://youtu.be/LDC9VPCuCD8

This video was re-uploaded for educational purposes, and to publicise safe road use.