Nearly 6,000 individuals were caught driving without fastening their seatbelts last year, according to recently released data, reports Breaking News.
Garda statistics reveal that 5,848 drivers were detected and fined in 2024 for failing to wear a seatbelt while operating a vehicle.
Galway recorded a 95 percent rise in seatbelt offence detections in 2024 compared to the year before, with Kerry following at a 72 percent increase, reports Breaking News.
Ireland South MEP Cynthia Nà Mhurchú, a substitute member of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, described the statistics as “truly shocking.”
“On the 1st of February, 1979, Ireland introduced legislation that made the wearing of seat belts mandatory for front seat passengers and drivers,” Ms Nà Mhurchú said, reports Breaking News.
“Forty-six years later, and almost 6,000 Irish people are caught not wearing a seat belt. There is no excuse. I do not understand why someone would not buckle up.”
The Garda figures also indicate that more violations are detected during the summer months, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nà Mhurchú has urged the Programme for Government to commit to “introduce new road safety cameras to automatically detect mobile phone use and non-wearing of seat belts” without delay.
Adults who fail to wear seatbelts or allow children under 17 to travel unrestrained face fines and penalty points.
Ms Nà Mhurchú emphasized the importance of parents ensuring their children are properly secured in vehicles, citing RSA research that shows four in five children are not correctly strapped in, reports Breaking News.
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