Today, South Australia Police launches its new seatbelt road safety campaign, It wouldn't hurt, as a part of its road safety education efforts to curb trauma on South Australian roads.
It wouldn't hurt delivers a strong message depicting the real consequences of crashes involving drivers who choose not to wear a seatbelt.
The crashes and depicted injuries were designed with input from investigators attached to South Australia Police's Major Crash Investigation Section, who brought detailed expertise in the forensic features of crashes to the depiction of common regional and metropolitan crashes.
Traffic Services Branch Officer in Charge, Superintendent Darren Fielke said traffic intelligence data clearly shows that people who did not wear a seatbelt in a crash were more likely to sustain potentially life-threatening injuries.
"It wouldn't hurt will run state-wide on digital platforms, billboards, television, radio and outdoor billboards in an effort to reach and remind people that not wearing a seatbelt has much more serious consequences than just receiving an expiation," Superintendent Fielke said.
"The stories in the campaign are grim for a reason; they are real.
"Drivers or passengers who choose not to wear a seatbelt and are involved in a rollover crash can be violently propelled from the vehicle that can then land on them or they can be launched around the cabin of the vehicle with a force that the human body cannot endure.
"We at SA Police have seen people lose their lives or suffer serious life changing injuries in these exact scenarios. I'm hoping this campaign will shake the apathy from drivers and passengers and make them realise it wouldn't hurt to wear a seatbelt."
