Brussels, 30/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - Just over half (56%) of all new private cars sold within the EU in 2005 were equipped with an electronic device reminding the driver to fasten his or her seat belt, according to a recent study. This is good but not enough, says the European Transports Safety Council, which is behind the study. Although Sweden, Luxembourg and Germany are at the top of the class (with 70%, 64% and 63% respectively), the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Italy and Greece are lagging behind, as in these countries, less than half of new cars are fitted with these systems. Furthermore, new vehicles do not constitute the majority of cars being sold nationally, the ETSC observes, to say nothing of the fact that generally speaking, new vehicles have these devices for the driver but not for the other passengers. However, they "could increase the use of seat belts among drivers in urban areas", as has been the case in Brussels, where 93% of the drivers of vehicles fitted with these devices fasten their seat belt, compared to 70% of the drivers of vehicles without them. The ETSC notes further that wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death in an accident by 60% and, furthermore, that certain types of airbag work only if the passenger is wearing his or her seat belt. For this reason, it calls on the national governments and the European Union to take action. It believes that government bodies and local authorities should include the existence of these devices in their purchasing or leasing policy for vehicles. The ETSC also feels that the European Commission should present a proposal making it obligatory for the devices to be installed in all new cars, as proposed by the high-level CARS21 group in its report of December 2005 (see EUROPE 9087). (dt)