Do you simply refuse to wear your
seatbelt while driving or riding
shotgun? If you're a guy, sure, you'll
win points for being macho. Trouble is, you could end up a
dead macho man.
In the Philippines, buckling up is still not a habit for many
motorists. This, however, is expected to change Congress'
recent passage of House Bill 7090 or the Seatbelts Act. This law
mandates the wearing of seatbelts in automobiles and other
vehicles, including buses.
"I think it's about time public awareness on car safety grew in
the country because the Philippines is behind in other areas,"
said Terry Ann Raquelsantos, marketing officer of Tri-Quest
Enterprises, the local distributor of Autoliv QB Inc. A global
supplier of safety restraint devices, Autoliv QB took part in the
recently concluded Automekaniko '99 automobile accessories
show.
Other countries have a headstart in making seatbelt use
mandatory for the driver and front passenger seats, as anyone
who has tried riding a cab in Singapore knows. Though
seatbelts were first introduced in the 1950s, their use only
became widespread in the 1980s.
A visit to the United States' National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Web site shows that today, seatbelts save an
estimated 9,500 lives in America each year. According to the
NHTSA, lap and shoulder belts help occupants of the front
passenger seat reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and
of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.
Though acknowledging that seatbelts are still not part of the
country's motorist culture, Ferdinand Raquelsantos, Autoliv
QB's Philippine general manager, said his company is trying to
do its share by conducting public awareness seminars,
especially in schools.
"People are impressed because they had previously
underestimated what a seatbelt is. For example, everytime you
have a car accident, you're supposed to replace the seatbelt as a
safety precaution. The problem, however, is that not many
motorists know that. Still, awareness has improved in recent
years. In fact, for the younger set-the teenagers and the
yuppies-it's even become a fad to wear seatbelts," he said.
According to Terry Ann, setting up booths in trade shows like
Automekaniko '99 has also helped in increasing public
awareness while attracting customer inquiries.
"Since we're displaying colored seatbelts, people are enticed to
take a look at our booth. So even if they're just looking because
of the novelty of color, this still educates them," she explained.
Ferdinand stressed, however, that high quality is what sets
apart Autoliv QB from the competition, adding that in the
Philippines their biggest competitors are surplus or
second-hand suppliers.
"Worldwide, we've captured 40 percent of the safety restraint
market, including airbags. All our seatbelts pass international
standards," he said.
He explained that these seatbelts are built to withstand head-on
collisions at up to 55 kilometers per hour. The seatbelts are
manufactured in the country using imported parts, with
particular attention paid to the stitching, which Ferdinand
claimed is shoddy in cheap seatbelts from such countries as
Taiwan. He also pointed out that Autoliv QB also manufactures
seatbelts suitable for jeeps and buses.
The two admitted, however, that the slowdown in local car sales
has also affected the sale of their products in the Philippines.
Still, Ferdinand claimed to have gotten a good response from
walk-in buyers at Automekaniko '99, saying that up to 50 people
a day were visiting their booth.
"In fact, we ran out of stock because of the response. I guess
that's because people are preparing for the mandatory seatbelt
law and others are simply concerned about safety, particularly
those who have young children," he said.
Terry Ann said, however, that their concern is not just selling
the products but, more important, the habit of buckling up.
"I just hope to make more people aware of the benefit of safety
devices," she said. "Not just by forcing them to wear seatbelts,
but by letting them learn the importance of car safety."
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