‘The 1% Story’ – Seatbelts in Georgia

I would like to share my story with you about how I got into road safety and the changing landscape of Georgian road safety today. I want to share you a journey of advocacy, of making societal change and making people’s lives safer and better – and I hope to inspire you to do the same in your own lives.

I want to take you back to 10 years ago – to 2016, and tell you my personal tale – my 1% story.

In 2006, only 1% of Georgian drivers used seatbelts when they were driving as it wasn’t obligatory to wear it. The foundation I’ve established with my friends – a group of road safety activists – started a campaign, promoting seat belt usage and advocating for a change in the law. In the beginning, there were large obstacles as for citizens and decision makers, it was seen as an ‘unreachable goal’ or a utopia to change the law and oblige Georgian drivers to wear their seatbelts.

There were many stereotypes against seatbelt usage in Georgian society...

1. Seatbelts don’t have to be used for short distances
2. Experienced drivers don’t have to use seatbelts
3. Drivers can control the situation
4. It is ‘dangerous’ to be “tied” in the car during a car crash
5. You don’t need a seatbelt for low speed driving in the city
6. In the rear seat, passengers are safe without seatbelts
7. Airbags will save us and protect us
8. Seatbelt restricts our personal freedoms

And finally, the most difficult argument of all – It is not Georgian to wear a seatbelt.

However, after a constant campaign for 5 years where we adopted a holistic approach with educational trainings, coalition building, identifying road safety champions within the government, business, media and the community, in 2010 the new seatbelt law was adopted and using seatbelts in the front seat became mandatory.

After 5 years of adoption, many people’s lives were saved, as ratified by the official statistical data and traffic police. What is most important however, is that we have a new tradition – it is Georgian to wear a seatbelt, and now we have greater than 90% wearing rate.

This campaign spearheaded by us is a good example of how partnership between government, businesses, NGOs, media, and community can lead to positive changes for the good of society. During the campaign, we found that EDUCATION is the key to engage citizens and governments in such societal changes. We found that you need champions in Parliament, Business, Government and the local community to help you. To this end, I would like to thank the TBC Bank, Georgian Hospitals, insurance companies, Parliament members, and government offices – these institutions which have inspired other companies with their words and actions and spearheaded a regulation that obliged drivers to buckle up.

The ‘Wear Seat Belts’ campaign demonstrated the importance of working through partnerships and bringing relevant partners together to address risk factors influencing road and transport safety using globally recognized best practices. It was a great journey, clarifying for us the roles of the government: not just to create laws, but also to generate and support multi-sector partnerships, where members are leading developmental agencies, governments businesses and civil society organizations. Everyone has to be engaged in making change for their world, to make it a better place to live, breathe and be happy.

What do you want to see in the world?