661 passengers were charged for failure to use their seat belt when the National Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen) carried out a nationwide inspection last week.
A total of 18,166 bus passengers were checked. Of these, 1,230 passengers were left unsecured, but 569 persons were fined because of uncertain observation. The fee for not using a belt in a bus is NOK 1,500.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration decided to carry out new belt checks because fewer people respond that they use a belt in a bus.
69 % state that they use a belt on a bus, compared to 73 % in the same period last year, according to a survey conducted by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. At the same time, belt use is even lower among passengers aged 16 to 29 years. Only half of the youngest choose to use a seat belt on a bus.
“Attaching the belt is not just a private matter. Should an accident occur, the outcome will be the best possible if as many as possible are held in place in the seat when using the belt,” says Department Director Ingrid Heggebø Lutnæs from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
