A large number of motorists, especially those driving luxury vehicles, are seen not wearing seat belt as if they are immune to the relevant law and unmindful of the resultant safety issues.
This situation is in stark contrast to the scenario when the new traffic law came into force in October 2007 carrying heftier fines and even jail for violations.
Though every motorist could be seen wearing seat belt for some months thereafter, of late it seems that the initial enthusiasm has waned and many are conveniently flouting the law.
A random survey conducted by Gulf Times over the past four weeks also substantiated this finding. The majority of seat belt law violators were found behind the wheels of top-end SUVs and sedans.
However, an attempt to obtain statistics from the Ministry of Interior regarding seat belt law violators did not succeed. A formal request was declined.
“What we are seeing on the roads today is a result of ignorance and arrogance,” an expert on road safety observed on condition of anonymity.
Wearing a properly adjusted lap and shoulder seat belt reduces the risk of serious or fatal injury by 50%, he stated while pointing out that most injuries to drivers and passengers are caused by contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, windscreen and the sides and roof of the vehicle.
“In a frontal crash, the seat belt limits the forward movement of the body. This avoids contact with the hard interior of the car and limits the forces placed to the body,” it was explained.
According to the laws of physics, if a vehicle is travelling at 50km per hour, its contents and passengers are also moving at 50kph. The vehicle’s sudden stop at 50kph can mean the difference of life or death to the passengers wearing seatbelts.
In a crash, unbelted passengers will fly toward the point of impact, colliding with anything in their path, like dashboard, windshield or steering wheel with several pounds of moving force.
While it’s dangerous to smash into a dashboard or windshield, it can be deadly to be “thrown clear.” In a collision, passengers launched from a vehicle are 25 times more likely to die.
“Contrary to what some people believe, in a vehicle accident, the safest place to be is inside the vehicle, attached to the vehicle’s seat,” the expert maintained.
It’s the seat belt that keeps passengers in place. In a collision, the one part of the vehicle that stays reasonable intact, no matter how battered its outsides might be, is the vehicle’s seats.
There are some motorists who think they need not wear the seat belt if they are driving slowly. “Even at a low speed of 5 or 10kph a collision can cause serious consequences,” he reminded.
A long-time resident recalled seeing some years ago a young motorist slumped dead at the wheel of a SUV.
“It was a minor collision with the vehicle hitting a wall at low speed, but the motorist who was not wearing seat belt died in the impact of his chest hitting the steering wheel,” he said.
The expert had one parting message. “Buckle up and protect yourself so you don’t become another statistic in the accident and fatality records.”
GT
PUT ON YOUR SEAT BELTS IDIOTS! Then again, I guess we need the idiots to be filtered out.
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