Seat belt campaign aims to reduce road toll

A new campaign focusing on seat belt use has been launched to reduce the number of deaths and improve safety on Georgian roads.

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs launched a social campaign entitled "Fasten the Seatbelt” today, aimed to increase public awareness on the importance of road safety.

"Safety and health of our society is our priority and the Ministry will continue activities like this in the future,” Minister of Internal Affairs Alexandre Chikaidze said.

The video clip, showing prominent Georgian’s promoting the benefits of wearing seat belts while travelling in vehicles, was presented to the Ministry today.

The video will be aired on Georgian television and radio stations for two weeks, as well as at Rustaveli and Amirini cinemas.

A competition for participants to create best design, photo and slogan will be carried out on social media to accompany the campaign, the Ministry of Internal Affairs press office stated. Participants should submit their entry to the facebook page "Fasten the Seatbelt". At the end of the competition, the Ministry will reveal the three winners and award them with iPhone 5 mobile phones.

Since the mandatory usage of seat belts was introduced in 2010, the number of road accident deaths decreased by about 30 percent, said Deputy Chief of Patrol Police Department Levan Machavariani.

In 2010 there were 5,099 road accidents in Tbilisi from which 685 people died. In 2013 there were more road accidents (5,510) but there were less reported deaths (514).

Meanwhile Minister Chikaidze said 30-35 percent of all road accidents in 2013 were caused by faulty vehicles.  To rectify this, the Government has introduced mandatory testing of vehicles, which will come into effect from March 1, 2015.

The law to make it mandatory to wear a seat belt while in a vehicle in Tbilisi came into effect on December 1, 2010. The law states the driver and passenger in the front seat must wear a seat belt. Passengers in the rear of the vehicle are not obliged to wear a safety belt.

The video, showing prominent Georgian’s promoting the benefits of wearing seat belts, was presented to the Ministry.

Georgia’s road traffic laws:

• Front seat passengers are required to wear safety belts
• Passengers in the rear of the vehicle are not obliged to wear a seat belt
• It is prohibited to transport a child under the age of 12 in the front seat of a vehicle or as a passenger on a moped or motorcycle
• Children under the age of three must be restrained with special baby carriages or seats, suitable to the child’s height and weight
• Unrestrained children are permitted to be transported in the rear of a vehicle if they are sitting on the lap of a person aged 16 or older. Only one child at a time is permitted to sit on the lap of an adult.