Car crash news
25/10/2010

One-third of car crash deaths due to non-use of seat belts

More than one-third of car crash deaths befall people who are not wearing seat belts, according to a report by the AA.

Entitled Clunk Click, after the Jimmy Savile-fronted campaign of the 1970s, the report says that the 600 annual deaths in UK road traffic accidents could be halved if all drivers and passengers wore restraints.

The report says that evidence shows Princess Diana could have survived the Paris accident in which she suffered a fatal passenger injury in 1997 if she had been strapped in to the rear seat in the Mercedes in which she was travelling.

Categories where there were the lowest numbers of belt wearers were young men, rear seat passengers, company car drivers and other commercial users such as those in vans, lorries, buses, coaches and minibuses. Late at night and early in the morning were the times people in these groups were most likely not to belt up.

Drivers and passengers in the survey gave a variety of reasons for not wearing a seatbelt and 14% could be classed as intermittent belt users.

AA President Edmund King said, "In the current safety debate with concerns over road safety funding, there is one thing that could be done overnight to save 300 lives per year at no cost – that is every vehicle occupant to belt up on every journey."

The motoring organisation made a number of recommendations to improve the level of seat belt usage and reduce the rate of death and personal injury following a car crash.