Wednesday, Mar 29, 2017

Dubai: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) recently announced that by July, all passengers in vehicles will be obligated to wear seat belts - or the driver of the vehicle will risk a Dh400 fine and four black points.

With stringent measures already in place against drivers, why would they not wear their seat belts? Or ask their passengers to do so?

RoadSafetyUAE and QIC Insured carried out a survey in February 2017 of more than 1,000 UAE residents, and found that 44 per cent of drivers do not ask their passengers to buckle up.

Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafety UAE, said: “We are very proud of this unique piece of research which times very well with the recent MoI announcement of the introduction of the seat belt law. The findings of this study will help all stakeholders to develop hard-hitting awareness and education initiatives to accompany the implementation of this new law.”

According to the study, 91 per cent of respondents understood that seat belts protect drivers and front-seat passengers. This awareness peaks in females, older respondents (over 35 years), Westerners and Sharjah residents. The lowest awareness levels were reported with respondents between the ages of 18 and 24, and Emiratis.

But on seat belts protecting rear seat passengers, the lack of awareness was at 81 per cent.

Frederik Bisbjerg, QIC Insured Executive Vice President, MENA Retail, said: “Seat belts save lives and spare us from injuries in case of accidents. Our mission is to protect our customers and our eco-system, hence it is logical to have worked on this research project.”

The survey also discovered that 78 per cent of drivers say they always buckle up. The highest users of seat belts were women, older drivers, Westerners, Asians and Arab expats, as well as Dubai and Sharjah residents.

In contrast, only 51 per cent of Emiratis said they always wear a seat belt.

Among the respondents in the age group of 18-24, 63 per cent said they wore a seat belt.

When it comes to front seat passengers, 71 per cent always use their seat belt. Once again, women outscored men, the old and experienced beat the young, and Arab expats, Westerners, and Sharjah residents stand out positively. Emiratis as front seat passengers using seat belts scored 38 per cent, and the segment of 18-24 year-olds stood at 52 per cent, with below-par values for Arab expats and Abu Dhabi residents.

BOX

Why UAE residents do not wear seat belts

1. ‘When I sit on the back seat, I feel safe enough without a seat belt’ - 55%

2. ‘On short trips, it is not necessary to wear a seat belt’ - 25%

3.’I am a safe driver and I will not be involved in an accident, so I don’t need a seat belt’ - 14%

4. ‘Other safety features like air bags protect just as well as seat belts’ - 13%

5. ‘Seat belts are inconvenient to wear’ - 11%

6. ‘Seat belts crinkle my clothes’- 10%

7. ‘Seat belts don’t increase safety’- 6%

8. ‘It is not part of our culture’ - 5%

9. ‘I don’t like the look of seat belts’ - 5%

10. ‘For religious reasons’ - 4%

by Mariam M. Al Serkal Senior Web Reporter

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.