New report shows dangerous seatbelt complacency

Published date: 02 Jul 2025

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) is urging Victorian drivers and passengers to use life-saving common sense, with new research revealing a growing number of people don’t always wear a seatbelt.

The TAC has announced findings from its Road Safety Monitor report, which found 4.7 per cent of people admitted to traveling unrestrained as a passenger in the past 12 months – a proportion that has more than doubled since 2020 (2.2 per cent).

More than 2500 people were surveyed for the report, which also found 3 per cent of respondents had driven while not wearing a seatbelt – a slight increase on the previous year (2.7 per cent).

Respondents aged 18-25 were most likely to travel as a passenger (10.5 per cent) and drive (6.4 per cent) not wearing a seatbelt – both proportions increased on last year’s survey (7.7 per cent and 3.5 per cent).

Regional Victorian motorists were more likely than those in the city to drive while not wearing a seatbelt (7.2 per cent vs 2.5 cent), as well as travel as a passenger unrestrained (8 per cent vs 4.9 per cent).

The findings come as the number of people killed on Victorian roads remains tragically high – with 148 lives lost, compared with 136 at the same time in 2024. Of the 81 drivers and passengers killed on that state’s roads this year, around one-in-five were not wearing a seatbelt (where seatbelt status was known).

“It has been a devastating year on our roads, and we are calling on all Victorians to stop and think about what they can do to keep themselves and the rest of our community safe,” TAC CEO, Tracey Slatter, said.

“Seatbelts in vehicles have been mandatory in Victoria for 55 years and wearing one is the simplest form of protection we have that can be the difference between life and death,” she said.

Ms Slatter said that while the research showed most people buckled up all the time, it was a concern that the minority was growing.

“It’s hard to fathom that more people are risking their safety by not taking the most basic of actions in putting on a seatbelt for every trip,” she said.

“We are seeing far too many lives lost and people seriously injured on the roads, and an inexplicable number of those are not wearing a seatbelt – there is no excuse not to wear one every time we get in a car.”

The TAC is investing $350 million into the Victorian Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 Action Plan 2, which will include a significant expansion of the state’s mobile phone and seatbelt detection camera program, to reduce road trauma and deter risk-taking behaviour on the roads.

Since the cameras were introduced in 2023, around half of the more than 130,000 infringements detected have been seatbelt non-compliance – heavy penalties apply to those caught by the cameras

The TAC continues to highlight the life-saving importance of wearing seatbelts via campaigns – with an enforcement-style seatbelts campaign set to roll out next financial year. Via its How Safe is Your Car website, the TAC also urges prospective car buyers to consider vehicles with safety features like seatbelt alert systems.

Audio File:

TAC CEO Tracey Slatter interview - seatbelts MP3, 2.8MB.