Seatbelts Save Lives
Jul 13, 2016
The Land Transport Authority is urging all motorists and their passengers to wear a seatbelt while traveling, as it has been proven to be the most effective way of saving lives and preventing serious injuries in a collision.
The Authority has made progress educating drivers and passengers on the importance of buckling up, however there are still many people who are refusing to recognize the dangers of not wearing a seat belt.
In 2015, LTA issued a total of 5,914 Traffic Infringement Notices (TINs) to motorists driving a private motor vehicle for failure to use the safety device. Between January to May this year, the Authority has booked a total of 1,653 drivers for the same offence, of which 1,072 TINs were issued in the Western Region.
LTA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Naisa Tuinaceva said:
“Buckling up is one of the simplest preventative measures a person can take to reduce the consequences of a road accident such as serious injury and even death. It is such a basic rule that we shouldn’t even be seeing non-compliance for seatbelts. We are encouraging both drivers and passengers to respect this simple road rule and belt up not only for their own safety but for others too.
“When you wear a seatbelt, you will not be thrown out of the vehicle during a crash and this may prevent you from sustaining serious injuries and even death.
“Your body will not move around and collide against the interior of your vehicle such as the steering wheel, dashboard, seat and the door should you make a sudden stop or are involved in a crash. The restraints also help the driver and passengers from knocking into each other. The seatbelt, which is strapped to the strongest parts of your body – shoulder and hip - spreads the force of a collision over a large portion of your body, therefore there is less stress on a particular area. This can help avoid serious injuries to the head and spinal cord that can otherwise be deadly.”
Mr Tuinaceva added that a motorist must always ensure their passengers are wearing a seatbelt at all times while traveling in their vehicle.
He said:
“LTA regulation is quite clear on this – it is compulsory for a driver of a private motor vehicle to wear a seatbelt while driving. Also, a person who is aged eight years and over must wear a seatbelt, whether they are seated beside the driver or in the rear seat. The regulation also states that children under eight years of age must be strapped properly in a child restraint. For the sake of safety, we are encouraging the traveling public to abide by the law.”
The public is encouraged to report drivers who fail to wear a seatbelt to LTA via free texting code 582 and email infor@lta.com.fj.