Republic Act 8750 Seat Belts Use Act of 1990

Courtesy of the Global status report on road safety 2015

Seatbelt save lives.  This is a fact. It saves lives every day, protecting vehicle occupants from collision, ejection, g-forces, injury, and even death. The importance of seatbelts to vehicle safety is practically common knowledge, one would be inclined to believe that drivers and passengers alike would wear them religiously. And yet, here in the Philippines, the Seatbelt Law is the most violated rule of the road.  According to Atty. Roberto Valera, head of the traffic safety department at the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the local seatbelt law (Republic Act 8750, otherwise known as the Seat Belts Use Act of 1999), was the country's most violated traffic law for 2016.

 In an article published on December 05, 2017 by Dinna Louise C. Dayao with a title “Seat belt law: the most violated road rule in PH”.  It says that “Data show that too few motorists wear seat belts. This means that too many risk serious injury and death in the event of a road crash.”  

 Many motorists also do not know that RA 8750 requires everyone in the car—front and rear seat passengers alike—to buckle up. The LTO is looking for ways to allot some of the penalties from violations of RA 8750 to an information campaign. “We want people to know that wearing a seat belt is not only a requirement of the law,” says Atty. Valera. “We are advocating seat belt wearing to protect you.”

 All in all, safety isn't expensive. It is priceless. Our safety should be our #1 priority at all times. We need to think of the things that might happen because of our negligence.