£1.3 million campaign for seatbelt safety

Drivers urged to buckle up to prevent death or serious injury.

Road Safety Minister Paul Clark has launched a new £1.3 million THINK! Campaign reminding drivers of the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt.

The campaign shows that if you have a crash without wearing a seat belt you actually experience three crashes. First, your car crashes and stops. Second, because there's nothing to stop you moving, your body carries on and hits the inside of the car.

Thirdly, you stop but your internal organs keep moving, hitting the inside of your body and can rupture under the force of the impact.

You are twice as likely to die in a crash if you are not wearing a seat belt and about one life could be saved in Britain each day if everyone always wore a belt. Seat belts have prevented an estimated 60,000 deaths and 670,000 serious injuries since 1983 when they were made mandatory for drivers and front seat passengers.

The THINK! campaign includes television, radio, cinema, and outdoor advertising and is based on research into people's seat belt wearing habits which showed that people are less likely to wear seat beats on low speed, short journeys on familiar roads.

The advert is so realistic and graphic it can only be shown after 9pm, with an edited version for earlier showings.

Clark said: "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 seat belt on."

"I hope this campaign will help everyone realise that they need to belt up every time they get in a car."

Further information:
THINK!