August 30, 2018
A surprising statistic has been revealed during Queensland Road Safety Week … one in four people killed in vehicles on Queensland roads aren’t wearing seatbelts, and the problem is worst in regional Queensland.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the figures were shocking.
“It almost beggars belief that decades after the seatbelt safety message was first promoted far and wide around Australia, people still fail or forget to make the simple, life-saving choice to buckle up,” Mr Bailey said.
“In the event of a crash, wearing your seatbelt reduces your risk of fatal or serious injury by 50 per cent.
“The message has reached most of us with about 92 per cent of Queensland drivers wearing seatbelts, but it’s the remaining 8 per cent who are putting themselves at significant risk.
“While the problem is Queensland-wide, it is more prevalent in regional Queensland.”
Mr Bailey said forgetfulness, low awareness of the risks and deliberate risk-taking were some of the reasons cited in research commissioned by Transport and Main Roads for why people didn’t click with seatbelts.
“Recent research has shown many people choose not to wear it except when travelling at high speeds on the highway or over long distances,” Mr Bailey said.
* * *
Seatbelt Statistics
Based on a survey of 3090 Queensland drivers (March 2018):
- 8 per cent drive on a public road without wearing a seatbelt on at least 10 per cent of trips
- 5 per cent do not wear a seatbelt on most or all trips
- Twice as many males do not wear a seatbelt, compared with females (as a driver)
- The incidence is highest for 25-39 year olds, followed by 18-24 year olds
Crash Statistics
About one in four people killed in vehicles on Queensland roads aren’t wearing seatbelts (where restraint use was known).
During the past five years, more than half of the unrestrained serious casualties on Queensland roads were aged 29 or younger:
- 10 per cent were aged under 16
- 43 per cent were aged 17-29
More than two-thirds of unrestrained serious casualties were aged 39 or younger.
Unrestrained serious casualties were more often male (67pc male compared with 33pc female), and usually the driver (58pc were drivers compared with 42pc passengers).
Infringements
During 2013–2017, there were more than 65,000 seatbelt infringements, an average of more than 13,000 per year.
Drivers account for more than half (52pc) of the total (infringements for unrestrained passengers aged under 16 years are issued to the driver).
Just over one-in-four infringements were issued to other passengers (aged 16 years and older).
Penalties
The current penalty for not wearing a seatbelt is three demerit points and a fine of $391 applicable to the driver and passengers aged 16 years or older.
The driver is responsible for ensuring all passengers are wearing a seatbelt or are in an approved child restraint.
Non-compliance can result in the driver being fined for each unrestrained passenger.
