Did you know only 1 in 8 rear seat passengers wears seat belts?

Study highlights the need to step up enforcement by the authorities

Acomprehensive federal seat belt law came into force in the UAE in 2017, making seat belts for rear seat passengers and child seats mandatory. However, a new study shows that the implementation has been lax, with only one out of eight passengers found to be using seat belts.

The new study conducted by researchers from the University of Sharjah reveals that compliance with the seat belts law has been minimal after more than a year of its introduction, highlighting the need to step up enforcement by the authorities.

A total of 1,903 vehicles with 3,569 rear seat passengers were observed for the study, with only 12.3 per cent found to be wearing seat belts.

Fujairah recorded the highest rate at 16.2 per cent while Sharjah was the lowest at 8.8 per cent.

In Dubai the rate was 14.7 per cent while Ajman recorded only 10.1 per cent.

According to the researchers the UAE’s estimated rear seat belt wearing rate is significantly lower than in many developed countries with statistics showing 89 per cent of rear-seat passengers in England and Scotland use seat belts or child restraints.

Published in the latest edition of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) Policy and Practice in Health and Safety journal, the study involved direct roadside observations of rear seat passengers, followed by data gathered from self-reporting questionnaires.

What needs to be done?

A random sample of 511 car passengers across the country was surveyed. Less than one sixth of the respondents said they wear seat belts or ask rear seat passengers to wear them.

This, despite the fact that close to two thirds believe in the importance of wearing rear seat belts.

According to the researchers, the estimated financial loss due to road accidents constitutes 1.3 per cent of GDP in the UAE, equivalent to the country’s entire GDP growth in 2017.

The road traffic fatalities rate per 100,000 population in the UAE is 10.9, compared to just 2.9 in the United Kingdom.

Researchers Dr Salah Al Din Bendak and Sara Al Naqbi of the University of Sharjah said: “Laws to enforce rear seat belt use should be accompanied with rigorous awareness campaigns on the importance of wearing rear seat belts in order to change the public behaviour in this regard.”

Pushing for stricter enforcement, Matt Jackson, Chair of IOSH’s UAE branch, said: “The need for drivers to be held accountable is key.”

“They are in control of the vehicle and it’s their obligation to ensure passengers are wearing seat belts,” Jackson pointed out.