Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is urging all drivers and passengers to always wear a seatbelt during a national campaign throughout June 2022. 

Whilst good drivers recognise that always wearing a seatbelt could help save them from serious injury and even death, for the few people who do not regularly belt up, the partnership will be sharing daily facts and information about seatbelts and how to travel children safely, on Facebook @WarwickshireRoadSafety and Twitter @WarksRoadSafety to explain how important this is.

This fact may also help.  Whilst most people wear a seatbelt every trip, during 2021, Warwickshire Police issued 198 notices to drivers and passengers for failing to wear a seat belt. Drivers may get a fine of £500 and three penalty points if they or a child under 14 is not wearing a seat belt or appropriate child restraint as required by law.

If you are 14 years old or over, as a passenger you are responsible for always wearing a seat belt if there is one available and could be fined £500 and receive two penalty points for not wearing one.

It’s not just the driver who may be fined. Last year (2021) in Warwickshire, 1 rear seat passengers and 19 front seat passengers received notices for not wearing a seatbelt.

Shockingly, in 2021 19 drivers had children in the car not appropriately restrained. Nine children were under 3 years old.

We are asking all road users to please take responsibility for your behaviours and safety whilst using the road and to look out for the safety of other road users particularly the most vulnerable such as children.

During the campaign, we are encouraging parents, grandparents, and those responsible for transporting children and young people to come along and get their child car seat checked at Elliots Field in Rugby between 9am – 4pm on Friday 17 June by Warwickshire Police staff trained to nationally accredited standards.

In 2021 one person died (1 in 2020) and nine (15 in 2020) were seriously injured in collisions where not wearing a seatbelt was recorded as a contributory factor.  In a crash you’re twice as likely to die if you don’t wear a seat belt.

It’s also important to understand how seatbelts and airbags work.  Airbags do not work in isolation.  They work with seatbelts not instead of them and can injure you if you are not wearing a seatbelt. 

If a vehicle suddenly stops due to a collision, your body wants to continue at the same speed it was going before.  A seatbelt not only reduces your risk of death or serious injury in a collision by reducing your impact with the vehicle interior and other passengers, but it also keeps you positioned correctly for the maximum effectiveness of the airbag and prevents you from being ejected from your vehicle in a collision or if your vehicle rolls.

Sitting correctly in your seat is also really important because your joints act like shock absorbers so the more bends in your body the more shock is absorbed if you stop suddenly or are in a collision.  So please for your safety, sit up and keep your feet on the floor.

Children too should be encouraged to sit up.

Sergeant Shaun Bridle said “Whilst we prefer to educate drivers of cars, vans, HGVs and other vehicles first, officers will be actively enforcing the legislation During the campaign increased numbers of officers will be proactively patrolling Warwickshire’s roads looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing seatbelts.  

“Whether you are a driver or passenger, please make it a habit to check everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt as it could save your or their life.

“If you don’t always wear a seatbelt, please use this as an opportunity to change your habits for good.”

You can follow the campaign on social media using the hashtag #StandingUpForBeltingUp on @WarksRoadSafety (Twitter) and @WarwickshireRoadSafety (Facebook)

Full details of the UK legal requirements for seat belts can be found at https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law/overview