Seat belts facts and figures
Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of death in a serious crash by up to 50%.
Reference: McCarthy, M. & Seidl, M. (2014), CLIENT PROJECT REPORT CPR1818: Benefit assessment for fitment of Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) systems to M1 passenger seat positions and to other vehicle types, TRL for European Commission
On average more than a fifth of car occupants killed in road crashes in Britain are not wearing a seat belt.
Reference: Department for Transport (2018) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report 2017, table ras41001
Half of young drivers aged 18–24 admit being in a car with someone who wasn’t wearing a seat belt.
Reference: Brake (2019) Half of young drivers admit to being in a car with someone not belted up
Wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement for all drivers and passengers. Drivers are responsible for making sure children under 14 wear a seat belt. Passengers aged 14 and above are responsible for their own belts. Children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old, or 135cm tall, whichever comes first.
Only 91% of back-seat passengers in England and Scotland wear seat belts, compared with 98% of drivers and 97% of passengers in the front seat.
Reference: Department for Transport (2015) Seat belt and mobile phone use surveys: England and Scotland, 2014