Compulsory Use of Seatbelts
A seatbelt is one of the basic components of a motor vehicle. According to Republic Act No. 8750, it comprises a strap or a similar device in the form of pelvic restraint or lap belt, upper torso restraint or shoulder strap, or a combination. It includes all necessary fasteners and all hardware designed for installing such seat belt devices in a motor vehicle. Despite innovations in the safety features of motor vehicles such as airbags, braking, light assistance, etc., wearing a seatbelt is still the easiest and the most effective injury-prevention device in a vehicle. A seatbelt ensures the safety of a passenger by securing them in their designated seat. It stops the passengers from hitting other passengers in the car. A seatbelt distributes the impact of the crash to the chest and pelvis, two of the strongest body parts of the human body. In an occurrence of an accident, It keeps the occupants of the car from being thrown out of the vehicle or against its interiors like the dashboard and windshield (Morris Bart, 2021).
On May 1, 2000, Republic Act No. 8750, known as The Seat Belt Use Act of 1999 was implemented nationwide. This is an act that requires mandatory compliance by motorists of private and public vehicles to use seat belt devices and requires vehicle manufacturers to install seat belt devices in all their manufactured vehicles. This act applies to all drivers and front seat passengers of public and private motor vehicles and other vehicles as may be determined by the IRR thereon every time they're inside a car with the running engine on any street, road, or highway. This law also bans children six years and younger from occupying the front seat of any vehicle with a running engine even if the child is wearing a seatbelt as stated in Section 5. Noncompliance results in at least a PhP 100 penalty, not exceeding PhP5000, to private vehicle drivers which can lead up to a one-week suspension of the driver's license. For public utility vehicle drivers, there would be a minimum fine of PhP 300 but not exceeding PhP 3,000 (R.A. 8750, 2022). However, despite these implementations, the seat belt law remains to be the most violated road rule in the Philippines (Dayao, 2018). In 2010, only 19.58% of injured car occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of the road crash. This is because many people fail to realize the dangers of not wearing a seat belt. Buckling up is the best safety precaution we can do in riding a motor vehicle. What's stopping you from doing it?
References:
- Dayao, D. (2018). Seat Belt Law: The Most Violated Road Rule in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/seat-belt-law-most-violated-road-rule-philippines#:~:text=Buckling%20up%20has%20not%20become,that%20figure%20dropped%20to%202.91%25.
- Morris Bart. (2021, May 26). Why Is Wearing a Seat Belt So Important?. Retrieved from https://www.morrisbart.com/blog/wearing-seat-belt-important/
- R.A. 8750. (2022). Retrieved from https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1999/ra_8750_1999.html