Simulator drives home seatbelt message A CRASH simulator has been installed at the Villagio Mall to convince drivers and passengers that wearing seatbelts can save their lives. The “convincer’’ crash simulator, provided by Qatargas, will be in operation from 2pm to 9pm until August 23. It reproduces the effect of being in a road crash at between 5 and 10km per hour. “Passengers are strapped into a car seat and are then launched towards a buffer. Even at this low speed, the collision causes a powerful jolt. Anyone not wearing a seatbelt risks injury or worse. Even at 5kmph a crash can have serious consequences,” a Qatargas spokesman said. Qatargas onshore project manager Jim Gardiner said: “It is vital that passengers as well as drivers wear their seatbelts to ensure that they are not hurt or even killed. We are sure that when people feel the force of even a low-speed collision, they will take extra care to ensure that they and their families, especially their children, are made secure when in vehicles. “The convincer campaign is proving very effective with our workers and we hope that by making the programme more widely available we can help to keep more people safe when they travel.” The campaign is being run by the Onshore Incident and Injury Free (IIF) team working on the Qatargas 3 and Qatargas 4 expansion projects at Ras Laffan, with assistance from the local expatriate community. “So far, over 7,500 workers on the projects have been through the convincer programme and Qatargas is keen to use the ride’s power of persuasion to convince more people that they must wear their seatbelts,” the official said. A special T-shirt will be given to everyone who rides on the convincer. GT

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