Seatbelt warning for Powys

Powys residents are being urged to always wear a seatbelt whenever they travel as Powys County Council highlights the importance of in-car safety.

In a crash, someone not wearing a seatbelt is more likely to die than someone who is using one, the council’s Road Safety Unit has confirmed.

Seatbelts ensure that as little contact is made between the occupant and the vehicle interior as possible if involved in a crash and significantly reduces the risk of being thrown from a vehicle.

Cllr Geraint Hopkins, Board Member for Road Safety, said “Since the law to wear seatbelts in the front was introduced in 1983, front seatbelts are estimated to have saved 50,000 lives.  But as many as 15 front seat occupants are killed annually by the impact of an unbelted rear seat passenger.

“Research shows that 24 per cent of people admit they sometimes don’t wear a seatbelt when travelling in the back and 10 per cent in the front.  There is also evidence that people are less likely to use seatbelts on short or familiar journeys or at low speeds.

This puts them at serious risk of injury in a crash.  You are twice as likely to die in a crash if you don’t wear a seatbelt.”

Sarah Morris, the council’s Senior Road Safety Officer, said “It is crucial that you do not place a seatbelt around two people, whether they are adults or children, as the seatbelt will not work properly and in a crash, both people could be crushed together, resulting in serious or fatal injuries.

“The law on wearing seatbelts is clear.  If there is a seatbelt in a vehicle, you must wear it.  If you are caught not wearing a seatbelt, you will have to pay a £60 fine.”

For further information on in-car safety, including child car seats, please contact Sarah Morris on 01597 826637.