12/06/2003

Seatbelts survey reveals rise in use

The number of people wearing seatbelts in Northern Ireland has increased, according to a new survey.

Commissioned by the DOE, the survey found that in April of this year nine out of ten drivers wore seat belts. Front seat passengers (89%) were more likely to wear seatbelts than back seat passengers (75%).

However, the overall figure for back seat passengers of 75% disguises different wearing rates for adults (14 years and over) and children (13 years and under), with 64% of adults wearing a seat belt in the back, compared to 81% of children. Both these figures compare favourably with April 2002, when 60% of adults and 79% of children wore a seatbelt in the back.

Children under one year of age have the highest back seat rate (97%), an increase of two per-cent on the previous year's figure. The age group with the lowest rate was 14 to 29 year olds (60%).

The commission observed 18,632 cars and took the details of 28,660 occupants with the figures being collected at 15 sites throughout Northern Ireland. Of these sites, six were located on rural roads, six on urban roads and three on motorways.

(MB)

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