Partnership urges motorists to belt up

The Safer Roads Partnership and West Mercia Police are launching a new campaign to encourage motorists to belt up.  

The vast majority of people habitually ‘belt up’ as soon as they get into a car, but many people, especially those travelling in the back, admit that they sometimes don’t for short journeys.  

According to a recent Department for Transport study into the use of seatbelts, the broad characteristics that relate to non-seatbelt use are; young men, rear seat passengers, goods vehicle drivers and company car drivers.  Journeys taken late at night, early in the morning or within low speed limit areas are situations where low seatbelt use is typically seen. 

Recent analysis has shown that, nationally, seatbelts were found to be about 60% effective at preventing fatal injuries and about 32% effective at preventing serious injuries.  If everyone in the UK wore a seatbelt it is estimated that over 350 lives and 1,000 serious casualties could be saved a year. 

The campaign will be a combination of education and enforcement and will be run throughout March 2012 in conjunction with a national seatbelt enforcement campaign being co-ordinated by the Association of Chief Police Officers.  As a follow on from the main focus on seatbelt enforcement, all nurseries and primary schools within West Mercia will be contacted with supporting educational material relating to use of car seats and booster seats with children. 

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection, said:

“Shropshire Council is committed to ensure the safeguarding of all our residents.  Although most people do wear their seatbelts, there are still a few that either choose not to or simply forget.  We hope this campaign makes people aware of the potential dangers of not wearing a seatbelt, and urges both drivers and passengers to ensure they wear their seatbelt at all times, as it may just give them the added protection they need if involved in a collision.”  

The campaign is also encouraging parents, carers and professional childcare establishments to check the children they are carrying in their cars are travelling in the correct size car seat and that it is correctly fitted. 

Superintendent Lee Davenport of West Mercia Police commented:

“Enforcing the law on seatbelt use will be the primary focus for this campaign, and our officers are fully committed to supporting this throughout all areas in West Mercia.  Seatbelts are an effective means of reducing serious injuries and fatalities, and anything we can do to increase their use has got to be a positive step.” 

For more information or advice about car seats for children visit www.directgov.uk and search for child car seats.  

Further information 

Some motorists can probably remember those memorable adverts; ‘clunk-click with every trip’ in the 1970s encouraging people to wear their seatbelts.  It has been the law for drivers and front seat passengers to wear their seatbelts since 1983, with rear passenger under 14 being required to wear them by law since 1989 and adult rear passengers since 1991. 

Local policing teams will be carrying out roadside checks at various locations across Shropshire.  In particular, in north Shropshire, officers are running checks in Hodnet, Hinstock and Woore at different times during this week. 

• Drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law.
• Drivers caught without a seatbelt face on-the-spot fines of £60.  If prosecuted, the maximum fine is £500.
• Drivers are responsible for ensuring children under the age of 14 are correctly restrained.