One in four NI kids not belted up in backseat
One in four children in Northern Ireland are travelling in the back of cars without wearing seatbelts, a new report revealed today.
Parents came under fire from the authorities as alarming survey results exposed the risks taken.
The North's Environment Minister Angela Smith said: “This is simply staggering given an unrestrained child is two and a half times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash.”
The study found overall rates of seatbelt wearing for drivers and passengers in Northern Ireland has gone up slightly.
More than 17,000 cars carrying 26,000 people were monitored on country roads, towns and motorways across Northern Ireland.
The April 2004 assessment found 91% of drivers and 90% of front seat passengers belted up – both up one point on 12 months ago.
Wearing rate for those in the back rose by two points to 77%.
Although children aged under one had the highest back seat restraint rate (98%), a worrying 23% of youngsters aged between 5 and 13 years were not strapped in.
