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Belt Up - it could save your life
30.01.08
The Donegal Road Safety
Working Group this week launched its latest road
safety campaign to remind people that seat belts
save lives, even on the shortest trips and at the
lowest speeds.
The aim of the Belt Up campaign is to remind drivers
and passengers of the importance of wearing a seat
belt both in the front and the back of a vehicle.
This is based on the fact that the real crash often
happens inside the car with the unrestrained person
impacting the windscreen, dashboard, and with other
passengers. The campaign seeks to focus on back seat
passengers and children, particularly on the school
run. |
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Welcoming the campaign,
Road Safety Working Group chairman, Stephen Lambert
said: “Seat belts are proven lifesavers and have
been shown to reduce the severity of injuries in the
event of a collision. It is essential that they are
worn front and rear on every journey no matter how
short."
A recent survey by the Road Safety Authority found
almost two out of every five parents put their
children at risk every day by not strapping them
into the back seat of the car.
"Parents are prepared to gamble a lifetime of grief
for the sake of a minute - the time it takes to make
sure your child is properly |
restrained," added Mr.
Lambert.
A new EU law requires all children who are under 150
centimetres in height and weigh less than 36
kilograms – generally children up to 12 years - to
be in an appropriate child car seat. Donegal County
Council’s road safety officer, Eamonn Brown said the
"message is simple". "Before you set off on any
journey, no matter how long or short, ensure
everyone in the vehicle has belted-up. Much of the
injuries and many of the deaths on our roads would
not occur if drivers and passengers were adequately
restrained by safety belts. This is one of the
easiest things people can do to play their part in
reducing the number of people seriously injured or
killed on our roads," said Mr. Brown. Check out the
RSA website at
www.rsa.ie for more details on seat belts
and the recently introduced seat belt legislation.
This campaign will be supported with leaflets,
posters and a media campaign over the next six
weeks. |
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