§ 45. Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has made of the safety implications of the greater use of vehicle seat belts.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyRear-seat passengers are seven times more likely than front-seat occupants to be ejected from vehicles in crashes because they are less likely to be wearing restraints. Wearing a seat belt undoubtedly cuts deaths and injury.
The Department's monitoring exercise of the effects of the 1983 introduction of compulsory wearing of seat belts and an independent assessment in 1985 by Professors Durbin and Harvey both identified at least 200 fewer deaths and 7,000 fewer serious injuries per year among front-seat occupants of cars and light vans.
362WAll cars first registered from 1 April 1987 must also be fitted with rear-seat belts. From next October vulnerable seats in new coaches will have to be equipped similarly. Everyone is well advised to use them.