§ Mr. Aitkenasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many rear seat car passengers died during 1983 as a result of road accidents; by what proportion that figure would have been reduced if the wearing of rear seat belts had been compulsory; and if he will publish the statistical evidence on which the answer is based.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIn the nine months to September 1983, it is provisionally estimated that 220 rear seat car occupants were killed. Figures for 1982 were as follows: 61W
Fatal and Serious Injuries as a Proportion of all Injuries (percentage) Seat belt worn* 12 Seat belt not worn or not fitted 21 * Includes child safety harness. No surveys of overall rear-seat wearing rates have been undertaken, so that the efficacy of rear seat belts in saving injuries cannot be calculated. However, the relative proportion of fatal and serious injuries for seat belt wearers is about half that for non-wearers, and this suggests considerable scope for savings if more seat belts were worn.