Johannesburg - Whether you choose to believe it or not, the fact is far fewer people would die in car crashes if all occupants wore their seatbelts.
Global research has shown that wearing seatbelts reduces the chance of death or serious injury in crashes by up to 75%. A properly-worn seatbelt can prevent occupants from being ejected from a rolling vehicle, and despite some beliefs, it’s safer to be inside a rolling car than to be thrown out of it.
Another common misconception about seatbelts is that they can trap a vehicle’s occupants if the car becomes submerged in water or catches on fire. Besides the fact that both of these scenarios are extremely unlikely, studies have shown that seatbelts increase the chances of retaining consciousness after a crash - thus allowing occupants to free themselves if one these improbable circumstances occurs.
These are the views of the Automobile Association, which was commenting on the implementation of South Africa's first baby seat law.
“Car passengers under three years of age are now required to travel in an SABS-approved child seat,” the AA explained. “We welcome this change and call on the authorities to ensure that a wide education and enforcement campaign is launched to ensure that infants receive the protection the law provides.”
PASSENGERS CAN BE DEADLY TOO
“Another benefit of seatbelts is that they reduce the chance of injuries caused by a vehicle's occupants colliding with each-other during crashes,” the AA said. “Although seatbelt wearing for front seat occupants has been mandatory since 1977, it was only in 1987 that all occupants in a vehicle were required to buckle up.”
The Association commented that many vehicle occupants still did not wear their seatbelts when in the rear of the vehicle. This led to restrained front-seat occupants sustaining serious injuries when unrestrained rear passengers were flung against them during a crash.
“Some people portray seatbelt laws as a restriction of their freedom of choice which affects only themselves, but this is not an accurate view,” the AA said.
The AA also reminds occupants that airbags are not a substitute for seatbelts and only function for a single deployment.
“In a crash where a vehicle suffers further impacts after the airbags have already deployed, unbelted occupants will have no protection. They may survive the initial impact due to the airbags, yet be killed in a subsequent one,” the AA explained.
Seatbelt wearing rates in South Africa are currently around 40%, meaning that countless lives are being lost due to lack of occupant restraint in crashes.
Mercury Motoring