The lifesaver for the street: the success story of belt duty and its effects on traffic safety

Veröffentlicht:

Von: NAG Redaktion

Erfahren Sie in diesem Artikel mehr über die Entstehung und Bedeutung der Gurtpflicht auf den Vordersitzen vor 40 Jahren und wie sie die Anzahl der Verkehrsunfallopfer drastisch reduziert hat. Entdecken Sie, warum der Sicherheitsgurt als Lebensretter Nummer Eins gilt und wie die Bußgelder und Kontrollen dazu beitragen, die Anschnallquote weiter zu steigern.
In this article, learn more about the origin and importance of the belt obligation on the front seats 40 years ago and how the number of traffic accident victims drastically reduced. Discover why the seat belt is considered the number one lifesaver and how the fines and controls contribute to further increasing the clip rate. (Symbolbild/MB)

brave and significant political decision 40 years ago: belt obligation with fines

The introduction of the belt duty 40 years ago was a courageous and significant political decision that still saves life. On August 1, 1976, the legal obligation to buckle up on the front seats was introduced. But this measure alone was not enough to significantly improve the safety in road traffic.

The clip rate was only around 60 percent, in urban just over 40 percent. In order to increase the acceptance and compliance with the measure, a fine of DM 40 was introduced. This led to a drastic increase in the clip rate to over 90 percent. The effects on the number of traffic accident victims were impressive: from October 1984 to July 1985, the number of people killed in the car fell by almost 1500 and the number of seriously injured by around 15,000.

You can call the seat belt as the number one lifesaver, as the managing director of traffic safety and accident research at the Björn-Steiger Foundation, Siegfried Brockmann, emphasized. However, he also reminded of the resistance that existed at the time and can partly be considered irrational.

Today, the rapid rate is around 99 percent, but around 25 percent of those killed in the vehicle were not strapped. If everyone would buckle up, we could save 200 lives every year, says Brockmann. To increase the acceptance and discipline of road users, the fine must be increased to 100 euros and increased controls must be carried out.

It is important to clean up with the misconception that you can support yourself with your arms at low speeds. The seat belt is indispensable to protect human life. Therefore, all road users should understand the need to buckle up and adhere to it.

The decision to introduce the belt obligation 40 years ago was not only brave, but also of historical importance. She saved life and increased security on our streets. It is now time to celebrate this achievement and to continue to emphasize the importance of belt obligation.