1 in 5 UK motorists drive without a seatbelt on, study finds
Wednesday 30 June 2010 Back to Blog
Van contract hire customers and other motorists have once again been urged to 'belt up' on the back of a new study revealing one in five British drivers don't wear a seatbelt at all times.
Of the 1,372 motorists polled for the study, 22 per cent admitted that they don't always buckle up either when driving themselves or being driven as a passenger.
Notably, around five per cent admitted to going whole journeys without wearing a seatbelt, with men more likely than women to break the law in this way and thereby place themselves at enhanced risk of serious injury or death.
Commenting on the findings, Mike Pickard, head of risk and underwriting at esure car insurance, which carried out the research, explained that seatbelts are often the "last line of defence" for motorists involved in accidents.
"The fact that motorists are putting their lives at risk by failing to buckle up at all times is simply staggering, but also illegal," he added.
Just last week, a separate study carried out by Diamond served to suggest that female van leasing customers are more likely to have bumps and scrapes while out on the road, while their male counterparts are more likely to have head-on collisions.