Of the 88 people who died last year in traffic accidents involving vehicles with seat belts, 24 were not, according to an analysis by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
This means that 27% of the drivers and passengers who died were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. In 30% of the cases, it was not determined whether the deceased were wearing seat belts.
Additional data collected between 2017 and 2020 shows that 10% of vehicle occupants who were seriously injured in crashes were not wearing seat belts.
Meanwhile, new research on driver attitudes and behavior by the RSA found that while 96% of motorists say they always wear a seat belt when driving, that number drops to 83% when people travel in the back seat of a car.
In 2021, Gardai issued 7,248 penalty notices for seat belt violations, which are associated with a €60 fine and the risk of three penalty points.
The RSA and An Garda Siochana urge drivers and passengers to always wear a seat belt on every journey, as seat belts have been shown to save lives.
Wearing a seat belt in the event of an accident reduces the risk of death for drivers and passengers by 50% and the risk of death or serious injury for rear passengers by 25%.
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