In a fashion-first, car scrap comparison site Scrap Car Comparison has launched a new campaign aiming to make seatbelts the ultimate fashion accessory, in collaboration with road safety charity Brake, and fashion students from the University of Northampton.
Every week in the UK, four young people (aged 17–29) lose their lives or get seriously injured in a road collision, while not wearing a seatbelt. In 2023 alone, 36% of car occupant fatalities in this age group involved individuals who weren’t buckled up.
Seatbelts are legally required in the UK and overall, the seatbelt wearing rates are high. However, some still see them as uncool, inconvenient, or sadly optional.
To tackle that issue and turn a spotlight on this, Scrap Car Comparison has launched THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION, which is set to change perceptions and transform the way young people see seatbelts: from boring and optional to bold, wearable, and essential.
Created in a 10-week collaboration with young fashion students at the University of Northampton, the collection features four standout pieces, each of them using reclaimed seatbelts and buckles to highlight the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The four piece collection, including a corset, a cross-body bag, a duffel bag, and a festival hood, reflects the idea that seatbelts should be carried with pride.
From Friday 29th August (10:00 BST) until Monday 8th September (10:00 BST), each piece will be available to buy on eBay in the UK, either through auction or a ‘Buy It Now’ option for £208 – a figure chosen to reflect the 208 young lives lost annually while not wearing seatbelts.
All proceeds will go directly to Brake, the road safety charity, to fund education, prevention, and support services for victims and their families.
What Does The Essential Collection Include?
The Impact Corset by Anna Shirley
A sculptural response to the immediate, explosive force of a crash, the Impact Corset transforms the essence of destruction into bold, wearable design. The recycled seatbelt straps form the underlying structure of the piece, running into statement ties at the back of the piece. The asymmetric style also echoes a seatbelt being drawn across the body, while the voluminous ruffles mimic airbag inflation during a crash. Together, the bold design challenges our perception of safety, and reminds us of what could be at stake.
The Holdall by Niall Walker
Designed by Niall Walker and crafted from reclaimed seatbelts as well as end-of-life garments from Decathlon, this statement duffel bag embodies the essence of purposeful design. Heavy-duty seatbelt buckles and straps wrap around a structured silhouette, transforming them into a strong piece able to carry whatever you need.
From the familiar click of the multi-way straps that enable the bag to be worn in many configurations, to the weight of the straps over the shoulder, the piece reminds us that safety is something that should always be carried with us.
The Belt Bag by Joanna Penc
Reworked denim meets industrial restraint in this cross-body bag. Worn across the body, like a seatbelt is worn in a car, the piece blends the familiarity and classic elements of denim with the unexpected, in the form of the seatbelt strap. Embellished for a softer feel, the piece highlights the balance between comfort and safety, hitting home the message that being strapped in can be both smart and chic.
The Bonnet by Alice Joy Homer
Inspired by festival fashion, the Bonnet was designed to be worn as a fashionable form of sun protection, and takes the safety provided by a seatbelt into a whole new context. The contrast of the industrial strength of the seatbelt fabric and hardware with the soft peach colored fabric creates an elegant tension between fragility and force.
Emmeline Child, Programme Leader for Fashion at the University of Northampton said:
“It’s been great to work with both Scrap Car Comparison and Brake on this project, as not only has it given our students the opportunity to work to a live brief, but it’s also challenged their design skills as a result of reclaimed seatbelts being a key part of the final garment. Working with unconventional materials and upcycling techniques is something that is playing an ever-bigger role in fashion, and working with seatbelt fabric definitely proved to be quite the challenge!
“The whole project is a great proof-point for how fashion can reflect society and be a powerful tool for engaging in social issues – the statistics that four young people are killed on the roads every week while not wearing a seatbelt is a shocking one, but hopefully the garments produced by our students can play a role in shining a spotlight on this issue, and make wearing a seatbelt truly cool.”
Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive Officer at Brake, the road safety charity adds:
“Seat belts are one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect ourselves when traveling by car, yet some still choose to risk their own safety – and the safety of those traveling with them – by choosing not to belt up. Around a quarter of car drivers and passengers who die in road crashes on roads in Britain aren’t wearing a seat belt.
“We believe it is always safer to wear a seat belt than sometimes wear one. Whatever the length of your journey, and regardless of whether you are carrying passengers, we urge everyone to belt up for every single journey.
“It’s refreshing to see creative campaigns, like this one, seeking new ways to engage the public on this vital issue. Finding fresh approaches to promote the life-saving benefits of wearing a seatbelt can help ensure that important road safety messages continue to reach new and wider audiences.”
Matt Clamp, Customer Service Manager at Scrap Car Comparison, commented:
“At Scrap Car Comparison, we see first-hand the aftermath of road collisions, and we know just how vital something as simple as wearing a seatbelt can be. Despite being proven to save lives, too many young people still view seatbelts as optional or uncool.
“Collaborating with Brake and the talented student designers at the University of Northampton has been an incredible experience and we hope that our collection will help flip the narrative and show that seatbelts aren’t just a legal requirement, but something essential and empowering.”
For the full details of this campaign, visit: https://www.scrapcarcomparison.co.uk/blog/the-seatbelt
