Young people urged to wear seat belts in new life-saving campaign

A new campaign to remind young men to ‘CLICK’ their seat belt in a bid to shift attitudes and save lives on roads across Wales and England has launched today, 18 March 2024.

Every week, 4 young people aged 17 to 29 are either killed or seriously injured on our roads when not wearing a seat belt, with young men more likely to not wear one, especially on short or well-known journeys. In 2022, 30% of fatalities among 17- to 29-year-olds were unbelted.

To help combat this, alongside targeted advertising on roadside posters, radio and social media, CLICK will collaborate with several partners, including various county football associations and local clubs to promote ‘belting up’ when travelling to matchdays to keep themselves and their teammates safe.

Taxi and private hire vehicle companies, including Uber, are also supporting the campaign and looking to introduce direct reminders to passengers to wear their seat belt when making journeys in cabs.

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said:

We know how important wearing a seat belt is, reducing the risk of death for drivers in a collision by 50%.

This campaign is part of the government’s plan to make our roads even safer and aims to make clicking in a seat belt second nature to young men, who currently run the highest risk of death or serious injury – reminding them that a simple CLICK can save lives.

Backed by £1.2 million of funding, this campaign – the first seat belt specific campaign since 2011 – pulls on relatable, personal moments between friends to drive home the consequences of not wearing a seat belt.

It acts as a reminder that something as simple as clicking your seat belt could save your life and that of your friends.

RAC road safety spokesman, Rod Dennis, said:

To most people, it’s second nature to wear a seat belt, but every time someone forgets to click theirs into place, they’re putting themselves and other passengers at risk.

Young male drivers are much more likely to be seriously injured or killed than any other age group because they haven’t buckled up. For this reason, we’re in full support of THINK!’s ‘CLICK’ campaign urging all car occupants to wear their belts in transit, but especially young male audiences for whom this message could literally save lives.

The campaign will also serve as a reminder of the importance of wearing a seat belt when travelling on a minibus, bus or coach, with drivers expected to clearly signpost rules and individual responsibilities when it comes to belting up, and with passengers over 14 expected to take responsibility for themselves and ensure they are buckled up.