Given the recent figures on fatal road accidents in Spain, the question arises why some people still do not dare to wear their seatbelts.

In May, a total of 83 fatal accidents were recorded on Spain’s roads, in which, according to the latest data, 92 people died.

That’s nine more fatalities than in the same month last year. Traffic increased by 6.3% compared to May 2023, with just over 39 million long-distance trips registered. According to the national General Directorate of Transport DGT, eight of those killed were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident – seven of them were traveling in cars and vans and one was a motorcyclist who was not wearing a helmet. By age group, those over 65 had the highest increase in accident rates.

The traffic authorities analyzed the data and came to the conclusion: We use seat belts more often than ever before, but there are still victims on the roads who were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

Failure to use this safety device is a concern. No other advancement in the automotive industry has had such a life-saving effect. “The seatbelt is still the foundation of safety in the car and ensures that all other systems work. It has a dual function: it keeps the occupant in the seat but also gives the airbag time to deploy. If the seatbelt is not fastened or not used correctly, in the event of an impact and heavy braking, the occupant will be thrown unhindered onto the dashboard, steering wheel, front seat or windshield… and that is a matter of luck,” said Ignacio Lázaro, senior product manager of Applus Idiada’s Restraint Integration Division.

Failure to wear a seat belt remains the fifth most common offense. In 2022 alone, 105,996 complaints were processed on this matter, according to the National Observatory for Road Safety.

The same data sheds some light on the profile of the “safety non-compliant” in Spain. For example, we know that drivers who were not wearing a seat belt have the highest number of deaths and hospitalizations, ahead of other vehicles such as trucks and vans. We also know that the percentage of victims who were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident increases with the age of the vehicle they are traveling in. And that men are more likely to be seat belted than women. In addition, and in line with US research, in 2022 two out of three drivers killed on interurban roads who were not wearing a seat belt were either speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Why are people hesitant to wear their seatbelts?

Why people refuse to wear seat belts is one of the questions that has intrigued researchers since its emergence in the last century. All kinds of scientific, statistical and psychological studies have been conducted to answer this question. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States published a report in 2019 on the psychological constructs associated with seat belt use and refusal. It listed the reasons why “non-compliancers” report not wearing seat belts. The most frequently cited answers were that they were driving to a nearby location or that they had forgotten to fasten their seat belt.

Given these findings, last August the NHTSA asked US automakers to equip their vehicles with seat belt warning systems for all occupants. In Spain, this warning has been mandatory for the driver’s seat since 2014 and for the rear seats since 2022. The NHTSA analysis also warned against other types of excuses. Some claimed it was inconvenient, they were in a hurry, they were afraid of being trapped in the event of an accident, and the most reluctant group of all were those who said they didn’t like being told what to do.

The agency found in its analysis that people in the latter group were particularly resistant to seatbelt campaigns, especially when the message focused on risks, compliance or the penalty for non-compliance. These users not only refused to wear seatbelts, but were also more likely to violate other rules, such as the speed limit.

“There are personal factors that limit the effectiveness of awareness-raising campaigns for some drivers. These include a high level of impulsivity, a lack of empathy, a poor ability to react to important events, a need for self-affirmation through risky behavior, an overestimation of one’s own abilities or a lack of tolerance for frustration,” says Patricia Pérez Fernández, a psychologist at the DGT.