One in four car drivers and passengers killed in road crashes weren’t wearing a seatbelt – rising to two in five (41%) for crashes that occur at night.

New research from the charity Brake and Axa UK reveals that while 96% of drivers surveyed said they always wear a seatbelt, in practice this may not always be the case.

The study also found that although drivers appear to have a good understanding of the safety benefits of seatbelts and child seats for babies and children, there is a lack of knowledge about some of the other passive safety features in their cars. These include seatbelt reminders and pre-tensioners, head restraints and load limiters, which are designed to reduce the risk of death and injury in the event of a crash.

The report – ‘Seat belts and passive safety systems’ – by Brake and Axa UK highlights concern for the small but significant proportion of drivers who don’t wear a seatbelt on every journey, risking the safety of themselves, their passengers and other road users.

The two organisations are challenging the Government to implement the EU General Safety Regulation, which stipulates that seatbelt reminders should be made mandatory for all seats in all vehicles – especially important for the 10% of drivers who say they occasionally forget to buckle up, compromising their own and others’ safety.

The report also includes a recommendation for a review of the law that exempts taxi drivers from wearing a seatbelt. Last reviewed in 1993, the law was originally introduced to prevent passengers from using a seatbelt to trap a taxi driver to their seat in order to steal their cash. Many taxis now have a Perspex divider separating drivers from their passengers, and fare payment is largely cashless, so it’s time for this law to be reviewed.

While travelling in a taxi, around a fifth (21%) of those surveyed said they don’t always wear a seatbelt, even though it is a legal requirement to wear one if available.

Brake and Axa UK are also calling for a new public awareness and education campaign to highlight the safety benefits of belting up on every single journey, with a specific focus on driving at night. While both organisations welcome the Government’s new CLICK! campaign aimed at encouraging young male drivers to wear seatbelts, they say there is a clear need for a wider campaign targeting all road users.

Finally, with work-related road collisions estimated to contribute to a third of all UK road deaths and a fifth of serious injuries, the report calls for the expansion of projects such as National Highways’ Operation Ping, which uses data captured from cameras on the Strategic Road Network to address non-seat-belt usage among fleet drivers.

Ross Moorlock, CEO at Brake, said: “Over the last five years, a quarter of car drivers and passengers who died in road crashes on roads in Britain weren’t wearing a seatbelt. From 2018 to 2022, more than 3,000 car occupants have died and 44,000 have suffered serious injuries. It’s reasonable to assume, therefore, that during this time period, more than 11,000 people may perhaps have been able to protect themselves against traumatic brain injuries, neck and spinal injury, and damage to internal organs.

“Seat belts are one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect ourselves when travelling by car, yet some still choose to risk their own safety – and the safety of those travelling with them – by choosing not to belt up.

“We believe it is always safer to wear a seatbelt than sometimes wear one. Whatever the length of your journey, and regardless of whether you are carrying passengers, we urge you to belt up for every single journey.”

Alain Zweibrucker, Axa Retail CEO, Axa UK said: “As an insurance provider, we understand the importance of protecting our customers against potential risks and we know that wearing seatbelts is one of the most effective ways to keep people safe on our roads. Young drivers are amongst the most at risk of serious injury or death from not wearing seatbelts, and alarmingly our research shows that 15% of drivers do not check that children under 14 are properly restrained during car journeys.

“By responsibly wearing a seatbelt, drivers are not only protecting themselves but also those travelling with them, including children. This simple action can significantly reduce the risk of death or serious injury and teaches the younger generation road safety skills and develops potentially life-saving habits.”