40th anniversary of the seatbelt

The seatbelt, that key component of road safety equipment is celebrating its 40th anniversary in France.

Historical overview. In response to the scourge of road fatalities in the 1970s, the French government created the CISR (Interministerial Committee for Road Safety). The first measure it introduced was the mandatory use of seatbelts. Passed on 1 July 1973, the law entered force on 1 January 1974. But it was only mandatory for the driver and front seat passengers, and only at night on the open road. In 1979, the law was amended to include daytime city driving and it was only in 1990 that it became mandatory for rear seat passengers to wear a seatbelt as well.

Today, belting up has become second nature for most French drivers. However, the latest Ipsos-VINCI Autoroutes Foundation responsible driving survey reveals that one out of 10 drivers (13%) occasionally drive without putting on their seatbelt. This road rule offence carries a fine of 135 euros. It should also be recalled that it is the seatbelt that first ensures the occupants’ restraint preventing the upper body from being violently thrust forward in the event of a head-on collision. Even for short trips, in the front and back seats, it is essential for everyone to wear their seatbelt.

For more information:

• Leparisien.fr / Vidéo: la ceinture de sécurité fête ses 40 ans (Video: 40th anniversary of the seatbelt) (In French only)
• Caradisiac.com / Olivier Pagès - Anniversaire: on boucle la ceinture depuis 40 ans (Anniversary: we’ve been belting up for 40 years) (In French only)