In 2007, 34% of the 1,432 people killed in car crashes were not wearing a seatbelt, according to government research.

In other words, around a third of drivers who are killed in crashes aren’t wearing a seatbelt.

According to the Department for Transport, nearly 300 lives would probably have been saved by wearing a seatbelt in 2007. You are twice as likely to die in a crash if you are not wearing a seatbelt.

Just in case you are not convinced, here’s the latest TV advert from the Department for Transport’s Think! seatbelt safety campaign. You may not want to watch this if you are eating:

According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists, seatbelt wearing rates are lower among young drivers than older drivers. That means that young drivers (who have grown up with seatbelts always being required) are deliberately deciding that they don’t need to bother.

This is madness.

The need to be wearing a seatbelt will come out of the blue. It may be your fault, it may be the other driver’s – but you cannot possibly guarantee to avoid it.

As Neil Greg, of the IAM says, “When you wear a seatbelt you ‘switch on’ three decades of engineering research and allow your car to give you the full protection it was designed to deliver. It is probably the single most important safety feature in a modern car.”

The fact that seatbelts are required by law is almost incidental – they are such a powerful safety feature that to decide not to use your seatbelt is just incredibly stupid. And selfish.

Seatbelts can make the difference between being killed and walking away from a crash.

What else matters?