The use of seat
belts multiplies the chance of survival. As a result of traffic accidents on
roads in the Czech Republic, persons not wearing a seat belt make a significant
contribution to the number of all people killed and injured every year.
In the automotive
world, seat belts, as part of the car's mandatory equipment, first appeared in
series production on Volvo models as early as 1959. In what was then
Czechoslovakia, the use of seat belts on front seats was mandatory by law since
1967.
The aim was to
drastically reduce the fatal consequences of traffic accidents. And although
the development of seat belts has taken a huge step forward over the past 60
years, saving more than a million lives worldwide, the subject of their use
remains very relevant. This fact is also confirmed by current statistics.
In the past two
years, 80 people without a seat belt have been killed in passenger cars on
Czech roads every year. Last year alone, another 146 people were seriously
injured and 678 lightly injured. The share of unrestrained persons in all
persons killed in passenger cars was 26% last year. In the case of severely
injured 18%, in the case of minor injuries 5%.
Of the drivers
killed in passenger cars in 2019, 23% were unrestrained, and 35% of passengers
killed were not restrained. In the category of severely and slightly injured
persons, the shares of unrestrained persons among passengers have been steadily
higher for a long time.
Differences
between men and women can also be traced to the consequences of accidents. Women
are more responsible for the use of restraint systems, as the proportions of
unrestrained women are lower in all years than the proportions of unrestrained
men.
Between 2006 and
2019, 34% of men killed, and 24% of women killed were not restrained. In the
category of severely injured persons, 21% of men and 15% of women were not
restrained, in the category of slightly injured persons, 9% of men and 5% of
women were not restrained.
During the
weekends, significantly higher shares of unrestrained persons in the
consequences of traffic accidents were recorded. For the entire monitored
period (2006 to 2019), on average, 28% of unrestrained persons were registered
on working days and 38% of unrestrained persons on weekends in traffic
accidents in passenger cars.
17% of severely
injured unrestrained persons were registered on working days, 22% on weekends,
6% of slightly injured persons were registered on working days, and 9% of
unrestrained persons on weekends.
The highest shares
of unrestrained persons in fatal car accidents were recorded in the South
Bohemian and Liberec regions, while the lowest shares of unrestrained persons
were recorded in the capital city of Prague and the South Moravian region.
Higher shares of
unrestrained persons were registered among younger persons. With increasing
age, these proportions decrease - except for exceptions (persons aged 55-64 and
slightly injured persons aged 65 and over) in all categories - persons killed,
severely and slightly injured.
The use of seat
belts is one of the indirect indicators of road safety. Last year, 7.8% of
unrestrained drivers, 10.2% of unrestrained front-seat passengers, and 15.6% of
unrestrained rear-seat passengers were registered.
Violation of the
obligation to wear a seat belt or wear a safety helmet while driving is the 3rd
most common scoring offense. In 2019 alone, over 60,000 such meetings were
registered. And it is also important to keep a reflective vest in the car.
