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Wearing Seatbelts

THINK! Seatbelt safety campaign poster featuring victims of a car crash who didn't wear their seatbelts.Buckle Up

When you're in a car, do you always wear a seatbelt?

In a car crash, unbelted passengers are far more likely to experience serious injury and die than passengers wearing seatbelts.

Watch the TV advert "Backwards" which originally aired in 2003 by clicking on the poster on the right to see how wearing seatbelts can make a difference.

Aside from protecting yourself from injury, it's actually compulsory to use seatbelts where they are available - it's the law. This includes cars, minibuses and taxi cabs. You're breaking the law if you don't wear a seatbelt.

For passengers under 14 it's the driver's responsibility to ensure that seatbelts are being worn or they can be prosecuted. In the case of young children, the correct type of child restraint must be used - adult belts should not be used on children under 135cms in height.

If you're over 14 years old, then it's your own responsibility to make sure you're wearing a belt.

A Danger to Others

Wearing a seatbelt is important, especially in the rear of a vehicle. Unbelted passengers in the rear of a car can not only injure themselves in a crash - they can also kill other people in the car.

Watch the TV advert "Julie" to see what can happen if a rear passenger doesn't wear a seatbelt (link at the bottom of the page).

Crash Simulator

You'd never want to find out what happens if you're in a crash without wearing a seatbelt. But with the THINK! Crash Simulator, you can experiment on a virtual car crash.

What kind of injuries would a family of four wearing seatbelts crashing at 30mph experience? What would be the consequences of a group of three adults crashing at 40mph without wearing seatbelts? Try it and find out! (Visit the THINK! Seatbelts site - link at the bottom of the page).

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