The powerful road safety message that all women need to see

Brought to you by the Road Safety Authority.  It will really make you stop and think.  We tend to think of road safety as a male problem. 70% of drivers who die on our roads are male. Young men tend to be in the most accidents out of any age group and it has been statistically proven that women are safer drivers. But before we get up on our high horse we need to address the glaring safety problem that is facing women today, seatbelts. It's not that we aren't wearing them, but it is how we are wearing them that is causing a problem. Too many women wear their seat belt under their arm, to stop tan coming off, to protect their outfit, or to feel more comfortable. This small mistake has the potential to cause catastrophic injuries. Some of the statistics from a recent survey by the Road Safety Authority are really quite staggering;  90% of women wear a seatbelt in the front seat but 23% admitted to not always wearing a seatbelt as a rear passenger. 28% admitted wearing their seat belt under their arm and 50% said their friend did so. Shockingly 28% of women felt wearing your seatbelt like this was safe. Dr Gerry Lane, the consultant in Emergency Medicine says it is not worth the risk:

"…what happens when you wear your seatbelt the wrong way is equally mind bending. If you’re crazy enough to wear your seatbelt under your arm and if you meet me after a collision it will have sliced into you like cheese wire lacerating your vital organs.”

And remember, if your seatbelt feels uncomfortable you can always adjust the height on the anchor point on the door frame, or alternatively simply adjust the seat position. Have a look at this video - it's a powerful reminder to always wear your seatbelt correctly because you never know when you could need it. This article is brought to you by the Road Safety Authority.