When the United Kingdom mandated the use of seat belt for drivers and front-seat passengers in 1983, it soon became clear that the new law had a positive impact on the public.
Within the year, the number of serious injuries sustained by drivers in road accidents fell by 23 per cent and 30 per cent for front-seat passengers.
Seat belt was soon embraced by the British public and wearing it became a way of life. Sadly, the same cannot be said about us in Brunei.
To these days, I still continue to see drivers and passengers without seat belts, especially when the front-seat passenger is a child.
I hope the authority could step up efforts to educate the public about the importance of seat belt and that road safety ought to be taken more seriously.
RA
