Road Safety Minister Paul Papalia today launched a new campaign marking 50 years since seatbelts became compulsory and reminded Western Australians to continue to buckle up.
Laws making it mandatory to wear seatbelts came into effect in December 1971.
While the vast majority of people do the right thing, new figures from Police show 2,800 infringements were issued last year for non-wearing of seatbelts.
Tragically, 27 people lost their lives in crashes on WA roads last year where police found they were not wearing a seatbelt.
Research shows vehicle occupants involved in a serious crash are eight times more likely to be killed if they are not wearing a seatbelt.
While seatbelts do not prevent a crash, they have a significant impact on the severity of a crash.
The anniversary provides a timely reminder to all drivers and passengers that wearing a seatbelt saves lives.
As stated by Road Safety Minister Paul Papalia:
"There's no doubt that over the years, seatbelts have saved hundreds if not thousands of lives.
"Unfortunately we are still seeing people who are not buckling up when they get in the car.
"What seems like a small decision - whether to buckle up or not - can be the difference between life and death.
"As we all work to try to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, I urge everyone, no matter how quick their trip, to buckle up."
