Buckle up!

Over the next two weeks, drivers across the country will be closely monitored by the Guardia Civil traffic police in a new campaign to get all drivers, be it in or out of town and in the front or rear of vehicles, to buckle up. The new campaign will be launched today and continue until the end of the month and the Guardia Civil intends to target over 60'000 vehicles in various parts of the country and the Balearics. While no extra police will be specially deployed as part of the campaign, all units have been ordered to intensify their usual controls. Failure to wear a seat belt warrants a 90 euro fine and the responsibility is that of the passenger as opposed to that of the driver. A recent study carried out by the RACC automobile association shows around 2.5 million drivers in Spain never wear their seat belts. Guardia Civil traffic boss, Carlos Múñoz Repiso, said yesterday that all local police forces will be co-operating in the campaign which will also be accompanied by a radio and television campaign. Múñoz Repiso explained that while the advertising campaign will serve to remind people about the seat belts laws, it will also help to convince those that never buckle up that doing so could save their life. The traffic police chief highlighted the fact that last year, 16.7 per cent of drivers who never wear a seat belt, died on the country's roads, to the contrary, only 2.3 per cent of traffic victims wearing seat belts, died. Carlos Múñoz Repiso also pointed out that airbags are much more effective if the driver/passenger is wearing a seat belt, in fact, airbags can pose a threat if a seat belt is not being worn. The new campaign sets out to quite simply make it clear that seat belts should always be worn and in both the front and back at all times. The seat belt campaign is part of the National Traffic Plan which was launched in July and will be addressed again in the New Year.