USING REAR SEAT BELT REDUCE RISK OF DEATH BY 50 PER CENT

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) - Using a rear seat belt can reduce the risk
of death by up to 50 per cent, according to a recent study conducted by the
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).

Deputy Transport Minister Lajim Ukin said the study entitled "An Assessment
of Rear Seat Belt Availability and Accessibility" also showed that using a rear
seat belt could reduce serious injuries.

The compulsory rear seat belt ruling, which will be enforced on Jan 1, will
not burden motorists as the study shows that 90 per cent of cars on the road are
already fitted with them, he said when responding to a question in the Senate
Monday.

A Senator wanted to know the number of casualties among passengers not
wearing rear seat belts and help for those who could not afford to fix
them.

Lajim said the government had sought the cooperation of car companies to
fix rear seat belts for free.

According to the Miros study, of 6,282 road casualties last year, 350 were
back seat passengers not wearing seat belts, he said, adding that 175 of them
could have survived had they worn seat belts.

To a question from Senator Heng Seai Kei whether cars manufactured before
1995 would be exempted from the ruling, Lajim said the cars might no longer be
on the road, otherwise they would have been banned by the Road Transport
Department or the Computerised Vehicle Inspection System Centre (Puspakom).
-- BERNAMA