The Donegal Road Safety Working Group is appealing to drivers and passengers to ensure that every person in every seat wears a seatbelt.
There were 188 fatalities on Ireland’s roads in 2016, 11 of them in Donegal.
Analysis of the national figure has shown that one in five drivers and passengers were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
In total, where known, 27 vehicle occupants were not wearing a seatbelt.
Road Safety Officer with Donegal County Council is Brian O’Donnell………….
Council statement –
Wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to prevent death and serious injury in a collision and the Donegal Road Safety Working Group is appealing to drivers and passengers to ensure that every person in every seat wears a seatbelt on every trip.
Young drivers and passengers are often under the impression that they don’t need to wear a seatbelt, especially if other people in the car are not wearing theirs.
The common excuses include, they think it does not make them look cool; they think it’s a bit embarrassing to be “safe”; they think it’s uncomfortable; they think the driver is safe and they don’t need to wear a seatbelt and they think “it won’t happen to me”. Whatever the excuse for not wearing a seatbelt the alternative is much worse.
There were 188 fatalities on Ireland’s roads in 2016, 11 deaths in Donegal. 1 in 5 drivers and passengers were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, 15 drivers (18%) and 12 passengers (32%). In total, where known, 27 vehicle occupants were not wearing a seatbelt (22%).
In a collision at 50kph, if you are a rear seat passenger and not wearing a seatbelt, you will hit the front seat, and anyone in it, with a force of between 30 and 60 times your own body weight, which could result in death or serious injury to you and people sitting in the front seat. Wearing a seatbelt is not about personal choice, it’s about common sense, please put your seatbelt on every single time you get into the car and ALWAYS belt up. It could save your life!
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