Buckle up for safety!

Under this slogan, on June 29, 2018, the Republic of Belarus holds a Unified Road Safety Day, which involves promoting the use of seat belts and child restraint systems.

In the early 19th century, the English inventor George Cayley proposed the use of seat belts. In 1885, the first patent for such a device was issued in the USA. Modern vehicles are equipped with seat belts not only for the driver but also for all passengers. A seat belt is a passive safety device designed to hold a vehicle (or other transport) passenger in place in the event of an accident or sudden stop. The use of a seat belt prevents the passenger from moving forward by inertia and, consequently, from possible collisions with interior parts of the vehicle or with other passengers, and also ensures that the passenger is in a position that allows for the safe deployment of airbags. Seat belts reduce the risk of death for drivers and front and rear seat passengers by 2 times (head-on collision) to 5 times (rollover), depending on the type of road traffic accident.

In the Republic of Belarus, in accordance with the Traffic Regulations, the use of seat belts is mandatory for the driver and all passengers, including those in the rear seats.

The driver is subject to the norms set out in Article 18.12, Part 4 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus: "Driving a vehicle by a driver not wearing a seat belt, carrying passengers not wearing seat belts, if the vehicle is equipped with seat belts, or riding a motorcycle, moped, or carrying passengers on them without helmets or with unfastened helmets, shall entail a warning or a fine of up to one basic unit (the current basic unit is 24 Belarusian rubles and 50 kopecks). The same actions committed within one year after the imposition of an administrative penalty for such an offence shall entail liability under Article 18.12, Part 9 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus – a fine of two to five basic units.

Passengers of a vehicle who are not wearing a seatbelt, if available, shall be subject to administrative liability under Art. 18.23 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus, which provides for liability ranging from a warning to a fine of one to three basic units. If the citizen is intoxicated (0.3 per mille of alcohol or more), the fine shall be from three to five basic units.

Statistical studies conducted over the past few years indicate that a large number of child passengers die annually from various injuries sustained in road traffic accidents.

In most cases, it was found that specially designed car seats were not used for their protection, the use of which significantly reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of an accident.

Children who are not seated in a special car seat during a journey are highly likely to sustain significant injuries to their limbs and internal organs in the event of a frontal or head-on collision, often leading to a fatal outcome. Even a minor accident is much more dangerous for small children than for adults. This can be explained as follows: the smaller the child, the weaker their neck ligaments and muscle fibres. In the event of sudden braking or impact, the spine of a young passenger experiences multiple overloads, which lead to fractures.

Liability for violating the rules of child transportation, i.e., transporting them without car seats or restraint devices, is provided for by Art. 18.14, Part 5 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus and entails liability in the form of a warning or a fine of up to four basic units. Repeatedly within one year after the imposition of an administrative penalty, a fine of two to eight basic units shall be imposed (in accordance with Art. 18.14, Part 12 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus).

Senior State Automobile Inspector of the Traffic Police Department of the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs, Police Major
Leschenok Valery Valerievich