Latest studies have shown that advanced seat belt reminders, which fulfil Euro NCAP test criteria, can get up to 99% of drivers to use their seat belt1. This is because the majority of those who do not use their belt are not in principle against seat belts. A great many deaths and serious injuries could be prevented if 99% of drivers in Europe wore their seat belt. Experience shows that even in the best-performing countries, no more than 97% of drivers use their seat belt, despite the legal obligation that holds in all EU countries to wear the seat belt on all journeys. Among passengers and rear seat occupants the wearing rates are even lower. This new ranking under the Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) shows that some countries reach a high penetration rate of seat belt reminders in new cars. In Sweden, nearly 70% of new passenger cars were equipped with seat belt reminders for the driver seat in 2005. In Luxembourg, this was 64% and in Germany 63%. The proportion of new cars sold in the whole of Europe that are equipped with seat belt reminders for the driver seat is estimated to be 56%. In the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Italy and Greece, this is less than half of the new passenger cars. (Author/publisher)
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