HC Deb 21 April 1969 vol 782 cc18-9
21. Mr. Dudley Smith

asked the Minister of Transport what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of drivers now regularly using their safety belts; and what further steps he proposes to encourage the wearing of them.

Mr. Bob Brown

Nationwide estimates are not available, but a survey in south east England in July, 1968, showed that outside towns 23 per cent. of all drivers were wearing safety belts but in urban areas only between 5 and 9 per cent. did so. The need to wear safety belts on every journey will continue to be the major feature of our road safety publicity campaign.

Mr. Smith

I thank the Minister for that reply, and support what he has just said. Will his Ministry try to encourage a feeling against the school of thought which seems to be growing in some areas that safety belts are not as efficacious as they were originally thought to be?

Mr. Brown

We most certainly will. We will continue to try to put right the erroneous idea that the only time one needs to wear safety belts is on highspeed journeys. The facts are that if everyone in a car or van had worn a belt last year about 15,000 serious and fatal casualties might have been avoided.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

In view of that particularly alarming figure, and as I think that it is accepted that the use of safety belts would have a most dramatic effect on casualty rates in this country, has the Minister any more comprehensive proposals to try to encourage people to wear belts, rather than just relying on publicity techniques?

Mr. Brown

If the hon. Gentleman has any alternative remedies, he should offer them to us. We are spending about £315,000 on direct publicity to encourage people not only to have the seat belts but to wear them.

Mr. Hugh Jenkins

Has my hon. Friend considered the possibility of making the use of seat belts obligatory?

Mr. Brown

We have considered this, by my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) has just been talking about enforcement on another issue, and clearly there is not a great deal of wisdom in introducing unenforceable legislation.