Carmudi talks about the importance of wearing seat belts

The simple act of wearing a seatbelt can prevent some of the most fatal risks that one faces on road. In fact, studies have suggested that wearing a seatbelt can enhance your experience of driving as you feel more secure behind the wheel.  Carmudi, Nigeria’s fastest growing online car site, recognizes the current issues surrounding car safety and advocates the use of seatbelts to stay safe behind the wheels.  

By encouraging the use of a seatbelt or self-policing your near and dear ones, you can bring a significant difference to both road etiquette and road security. It is estimated that seatbelts can reduce the risk of fatal injury to passengers in the front seat by 45 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.

Kelechi Onyeulo, Automobile Inspector and Safety Specialist at Carmudi commented “wearing a seat belt is the easiest means of protection because it spreads the impact force across the body and minimizes contact with the interior of the vehicle, also preventing occupants from forceful ejection from their car.”

Studies have also shown that the presence of airbags in the car does not significantly reduce injury during a car crash. The airbags do assist during a crash but without a seatbelt, people may come into contact with them before they are fully deployed causing airbag related injuries.

Children younger than 13 should always sit in the backseat while children between ages 4 and 8 or weigh less than 40 pounds should sit in booster seats. Infants who are younger than 1 year or weigh less than 20 pounds should be placed in rear facing safety seats.

To promote seat belt use in Nigeria, grass roots efforts in the community should be joined with mass media and broad-based messaging outreach to immerse parents and caregivers, teachers, health professionals and young drivers alike.

According to law, the penalty for driving without a strapped seat belt for both the driver and passenger is N20, 000 for first time offenders, while a regular offender pays the sum of N30, 000. This law is enforced by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and by extension, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

Automobile safety is a very important issue for car owners and passengers and thus should be treated as such.

About Carmudi

Carmudi was founded in 2013 and is currently available in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Myanmar,Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Sri Lanka. The vehicle marketplace offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online.