Belt-up Bradford
Motorists are being urged by Bradford Council to make sure they use seat belts and child car seats.
Coun David Green, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Regeneration and Economy, said: "Someone involved in a collision who is not wearing a seat belt is twice as likely to die as someone using one.”
Despite it being a legal requirement to wear a seat belt in the front of vehicles for nearly 30 years, and in the rear for 20 years, there are still an alarming number of vehicle occupants in Bradford who are choosing not to wear a seat belt.
Coun Green said: "Although the district has seen a downward trend in the number of car occupants injured it is vital that people use their seat belts every time they travel in a vehicle.
"We cannot stress enough the importance of using seat belts and child car seats and how they can save lives in an accident.”
Nationally, around 24 per cent of people admit to occasionally neglecting to wear a seat belt when travelling in the back of a car and 10 per cent in the front.
Evidence suggests that people are less likely to use seat belts on short or familiar journeys or at low speeds.
Children are also less likely to use a child restraint or seat belt when travelling in vehicles with adults who are not using theirs.
Results from two recent car child seat clinics revealed that out of 97 car seats that were checked 10 were correctly fitted and 87 were incorrectly fitted. 28 seats had minor faults, 34 seats had major faults and 25 were incompatible.
