A ‘tumbling car’ seat belt demonstrator will visit the UK for the first time later this month, as part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The car, owned by the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Studies (VSV), has been loaned to the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) with the support of GEM Motoring Assist.
The car rotates 360 degrees – effectively leaving passenger hanging upside-down, with the seatbelt holding them in place.
GEM Motoring Assist, who saw the car in action in Belgium last September as part of Project EDWARD 2016, says it is a ‘spectacular reminder’ of the importance of wearing a seatbelt.
The European Transport Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, also experienced the full effect of the tumbling car during the Project EDWARD demonstration.
First held in 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is described as motorsport’s ‘ultimate summer garden party’ – an ‘intoxicating celebration of the world’s most glamorous sport’.
SSRP will take the car to the Festival (29 June – 2 July) to highlight the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The Tumbling Car will be located on stand 409.
Recent research, published in the Road Safety Observatory, found that seatbelts are ‘50% effective’ at preventing fatal injuries for drivers. For front seat passengers, seat belts are 45% effective at preventing fatal or serious injuries, and 20% effective at preventing minor injuries.
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