The subdelegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, recalled that the correct use of the retention systems would have prevented three deaths on the roads of A Coruña last year. It did so in the presentation of the special control and surveillance campaign on the use of the safety belt and Child Restraint Systems (SRI), which from today until next Sunday, December 16, will develop the General Directorate of Traffic with the support of the Civil Traffic Guard and the municipal police of the municipalities that join the initiative.
María Rivas, who was accompanied by the Provincial Head of Traffic, Victoria Gómez and the head of the Traffic subsector of the Civil Guard in A Coruña, José Corral, indicated that of the 18 deaths in car accidents registered last year in the province, 3 of the victims were not wearing their belts. “These are data that improve the records of 2023, in which almost half of the victims were killed, but there is still work ahead, because the only tolerable figure is that of zero deaths, and more when they can be avoided with a gesture as simple as the buckling of the belt,” argued the deputy delegate.
In this line, he noted that not wearing a seat belt is, along with speed and driving under the influence of alcohol, one of the main risk factors on the road. In addition, he added, the use of the belt reduces the risk of death in the event of an accident by half and by 77% in the event of the vehicle being overturned.
The subdelegate stressed the importance of carrying out these campaigns to raise awareness of the use of the safety belt, which “is the lifeguard we have as soon as we get into a car and, in that sense, all insistence is little when it comes to stopping the number of deaths on our roads,” she said.
María Rivas explained that during the campaign, which takes place between March 10 and 16, there will be a significant increase in the controls in which the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, together with the municipal police, will ensure that all the occupants of the vehicle make proper use of the safety belt.
Last year's special campaign
In the same campaign last year, 13,762 cars were controlled in the province of A Coruña, of which 250 were reported for not using these systems. In total, 15,422 checks were carried out in the province during the last campaign, including buses, taxis and freight vehicles, which resulted in 329 offenders being punished.