The National Road Safety Authority conducted an observation
survey in urban areas with large concentrations of chareidi
residents, to gauge the rate of seatbelt use. The survey
produced the following findings:
Ashdod: Fourteen percent of all drivers and 22 percent of
those sitting in the passenger's seat do not use buckle up,
along with 77 percent of backseat passengers.
Kiryat Sefer: Thirty-five percent of all drivers and 39
percent of those sitting in the passenger's seat do not
buckle up, along with 73 percent of backseat passengers.
Bnei Brak: Only 4 percent of all drivers and only 14 percent
of those sitting in the passenger's seat were not wearing
seatbelts, while 73 percent of backseat passengers did not
buckle up.
Jerusalem: Only 7 percent of all drivers and only 16 percent
of those sitting in the passenger's seat were not wearing
seatbelts, while 60 percent of backseat passengers did not
buckle up.
The reliability of the survey is somewhat doubtful,
particularly in mixed areas where survey workers cannot tell
at a glance whether the drivers and passengers are
chareidi.
"In general the results of the survey were better than the
results from last year's survey," said Road Safety Authority
Director Vladimir Rubin. "Unfortunately, however, there is a
driving culture of not wearing safety belts inside cities
because there is almost no police enforcement inside cities."
Rubin promised to continue promoting road safety education in
the chareidi sector, focusing on seatbelt use in the
backseat. Safety belts do not prevent accidents but
definitely do save lives.
