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If you don’t wear a seatbelt in Cape Town, you are 5 times more likely to die

Every year the death toll on South African roads climbs into the of thousands, and most of them could have been prevented if the drivers were wearing a seatbelt. In a limited pilot study in Cape Town, it was found that only around 26% of drivers actually used their seatbelts, and those who did so significantly reduced their risk of serious injury.

“The prevalence of seatbelt use in vehicle occupants involved in road traffic collisions was very low. The association between seatbelt non-use and injury severity calls for stricter enforcement of current seatbelt laws, together with the development and implementation of road safety interventions specifically focused on high-risk groups,” the Injury severity in relation to seatbelt use in Cape Town, South Africa: A pilot study noted, published in the South African Medical Journal.

The objective of the pilot study was to determine the relationship between seatbelt use and injury severity in vehicle occupants involved in road traffic collisions in Cape Town.

According to the World Health Organisation, even though international research has proven that by wearing a seatbelt you can affect the risk of death in the event of a serious collision, SA has one of the lowest rates of seatbelt use (±60%) in the world.

The study’s result were compiled with the help of Cape Town’s METRO EMS Rescue as they assessed patients involved in crashes. A score was assigned to each patient, which included the Injury Severity Score (ISS) to determine injury severity, the location of their injury and if they were hospitalised afterwards.

Data were collected on 107 patients from 55 collisions (55 drivers, 28 front seat passengers and 24 rear seat passengers), and showed that only 25.2% were wearing their seatbelts at the time of impact. Breaking it further down, 38% of drivers wore seatbelts, front seat passengers 21.4% and rear seat passengers 8.3%.

Using the scoring system to assess the patients, the study found that “dead or seriously injured patients (triaged blue, red and orange) were five times less likely to have worn a seatbelt than those with less severe injuries. None of the 11 patients who died had been restrained.”

The study concludes by highlighting the importance of wearing a seatbelt at all times, as well as urging law enforcement to apply the law more strictly.

“This study demonstrated a reduction in injury severity, hospital admission rate, duration of hospital stay and mortality rate when seatbelts were used by occupants of vehicles involved in road traffic collisions. Consistent with previous research, these results illustrate the significance of this modifiable health risk and should motivate policy makers and government officials to enforce seatbelt laws more strictly.”

Obviously the pilot study is small scale, but the authors are looking to expand their research soon.

[Image – CC by 2.0/Ken Stein]

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