A new survey was recently commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and QIC Insured to gauge motorists’ understanding of seatbelt rules. The survey was conducted by YouGov and the results of the survey have revealed that a large number of motorists still don’t consider it important to buckle up while travelling. It was also revealed that the seatbelt violations were mostly committed by back seat passengers who either didn’t know about the new seatbelt rules or they didn’t deem it significant to wear seatbelts.
The seatbelt policy was changed last year and the new policy made it compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear their seatbelts. The new rules also made it the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all passengers in the vehicle wear seatbelt.
Also read: Major Reason Behind Road Deaths in Abu Dhabi Revealed
Detailed Findings of the New Survey
As many as 1,016 respondents participated in the survey that looked into the change of mindset of motorists after the implementation of new seatbelt policy last year. The results of the survey were compared with the results of previous surveys to figure out the change in behavior of motorists. While the results showed a slight improvement, it was observed that many motorists still didn’t make sure that they used seatbelts every time they set off for a journey.
Here are the detailed findings of the new survey:
- 27% of the adults used the seatbelt in the back seat, which shows an improvement of 11%.
- Only 15% of Arab expats used seatbelts in the back seat.
- Only 20% of young drivers used seatbelt in the back seat.
- 61% of Emirati drivers used seatbelts while driving.
- 62% of young drivers used seatbelts while driving.
- 54% of Emirati front-seat passengers used the seatbelt.
- 64% young passengers (25-29 years old) used the seatbelt while sitting in the front seat.
- 51% of the respondents said that they neither buckled up themselves nor they encouraged other adult passengers to buckle up.
- 32% of the respondents said that they didn’t think it was important to wear seatbelts on short trips.
- 17% said that they felt no need to wear seatbelts as they were safe drivers.
A positive change of mindset was observed amongst car owners in ensuring the safety of child passengers. The policy for child safety was also changed last year, according to which motorists have to install the standardized child safety seats with tethering anchors in their vehicle’s back seat (if already not available). As many as 76% of the survey respondents said they now had proper child safety seats and boosters to ensure the safety of their children. It showed an improvement of 10% from 2017, which is an encouraging development.
Seatbelt Rules in the UAE
The new seatbelt policy introduced new rules to ensure the safety of all passengers in a vehicle. For the first time, seatbelt rules for back seat passengers were included in the traffic law and the policy regarding child safety seats was consolidated.
Here are the new seatbelt rules that motorists should follow to avoid hefty penalties.
- The driver and all passengers in a vehicle must wear a seatbelt. Not wearing seatbelt levies hefty penalties of AED 400 fine and 4 black points.
- The driver needs to ensure that everyone buckles up including the back seat passengers. A failure to follow this rule will result in hefty penalties and the driver of the vehicle will have to face a fine of AED 400 per passenger who fails to buckle up.
- A child safety seat should be installed in the back seat of a vehicle for children up to four years of age. Motorists will face a fine of AED 400 and 4 black points if they violate this important child safety rule.
- The front seat passenger should never be less than 10 years old and should be at least 145cm tall.
Also read: 37,519 Motorists Fined for Not Wearing Seatbelts in Dubai
Official Statement
According to a study conducted by Abu Dhabi Police in 2017, fatalities can be reduced up to 60% in road accidents by wearing seatbelts. Brigadier Saif Al Zari, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police emphasized the importance of wearing seatbelts and ensuring safety of children. He said that front seat passengers should avoid seating a child in their lap as it can prove to be seriously dangerous in the event of a high-impact collision.
Thomas Edelman, the Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE was of the view that authorities should continue their efforts to promote awareness amongst motorists as it will help them achieve the target to reduce road deaths in line with the UAE Vision 2021. The current death toll stands at 4.4 road deaths for 100,000 inhabitants and authorities aim at reducing road deaths to 3 road deaths for 100,000 inhabitants by 2021.
Key Takeaways
The new survey by RoadSafetyUAE and QIC Insured has revealed some important stats about usage of seatbelts by motorists in the UAE. It has clearly suggested the need for a change in motorists’ behavior to become more responsible and compliant to the seatbelt rules. A significant improvement has been observed in the perceptions of motorists regarding the use of seatbelts, however, the compliance with these rules is still considerably low. It is essential for motorists to never ignore the importance of wearing seatbelts as it can potentially help avoid fatalities in a high-impact collision.
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