Belt up: Avoid three-in-one car crashes
Monday, 01 Feb 2010 12:10
Wear your seatbelt, campaign says.
Motorists are being reminded of the importance of wearing a seatbelt, as safety group Think! pointed out that one crash effectively means three.
Its new campaign, launched by road safety minister Paul Clark, explained that three crashes are felt when not wearing a seatbelt.
First, the car crashes and stops, then the body carries on and hits the inside of the car, and finally, internal organs continue to move inside and can rupture.
"This campaign reminds drivers that - no matter how short their journey or how slowly they are driving - they are risking their life if they set off without putting their seatbelt on," Mr Clark commented.
Television, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising form part of the £1.3 million campaign, which is based on research showing that people are less likely to wear seatbelts on low speed, short journeys.
Department for Transport figures revealed that there were 230,905 reported road casualties of all severities in Great Britain during 2008.
The number of fatalities fell for almost all types of road user.