Call for cameras on roads in Waterford as figures show jump in people not wearing seatbelts
MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, a member of the EU Transport Committee, said the figures were "shocking." Stock Image.
New garda figures show a 57% increase in the people caught not wearing seatbelts in the Waterford/Kilkenny/Carlow garda division.
Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has called for a commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce new road safety cameras to automatically detect mobile phone use and non-wearing of seat belts to be implemented immediately.
The figures show that 67 people were issued fixed penalty notices in 2023. That figure has jumped to 105 in 2024.
Nationally, 5,848 people were issued notices in 2024.
“On February 1, 1979, Ireland introduced legislation that made the wearing of seat belts mandatory for front seat passengers and drivers.
"46 years later, and almost 6,000 Irish people are caught not wearing a seat belt. There is no excuse.
"I do not understand why someone would not buckle up,” said Ms Ní Mhurchú.
Ní Mhurchú said it is vitally important that parents ensure that their children are properly strapped into the car, with RSA research showing that four in five children are not strapped in properly.
Galway had the highest increase at 95% or 80 incidents (up from 41 in 2023).
Cork County had the lowest increase of just 4% from 55 to 57 incidents.
Ms Ní Mhurchú, a member of the EU Transport Committee, said not wearing a seatbelt and driving while using a mobile phone are two of the leading factors in road deaths in Ireland.
