Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will introduce measures to increase the level of back-seat seatbelt usage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6094/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Road safety legislation requires that car seat belts must be fitted to all forward facing seats and must be worn. In addition, the RSA's Road Safety Strategy 2007 - 2012 identifies a number of specific targets groups in order to improve seatbelt wearing rates in the adult, primary school and secondary school-going populations.

In assessing the success of these initiatives, a 2011 study has revealed an increase in rear seatbelt wearing rates among each of these groups, with adult rates increasing from 79% in 2009 to 90%; primary school students increasing from 80% to 94%; and secondary school students increasing from 83% to 93%. The RSA is continuing to influence attitudes and behaviours toward seatbelt usage through a number of educational programmes and mediums.

Although compliance with safety belt wearing requirements in Ireland is high and we are among the top EU best-practice countries as regards safety belt wearing rates, incidences in which safety belts are not worn are still over-represented in collision data. I understand that the RSA will be including increased safety belt wearing rate targets in the new Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020 which is currently being prepared.