MOTORISTS and passengers are being urged to remember their seat belts as a national policing campaign looks to improve safety and compliance across the UK.
The national seat belt enforcement operation runs from June 12 to June 25 to ensure motorists are using their seat belts and child restraints correctly and to crack down on offenders who continue to break the law.
The campaign highlights the significant contributory factor that seat belts have on road collisions and the resulting injuries.
In the UK it is a legal requirement for drivers and passengers to wear a seat belt unless they have an exemption and it is the driver’s legal responsibility to ensure that passengers under 14 years old are using the appropriate child restraint.
Over the past three years in West Mercia, 18 people have been killed and 42 seriously injured in collisions where a seat belt has not been worn.
Throughout the operation officers will be out in local communities taking part in enforcement and educational activities.
Local advertising will also be in place in a number of fuel forecourts across the West Mercia region.
Supt Steph Brighton for West Mercia Police said: “Supporting this national operation with local activities and increased enforcement is an important way of raising the issue and highlighting the dangers of not “wearing a seat belt or not using a correctly fitted car seat.
“Seatbelts save lives and help to reduce the severity of an injury, seeing that some people still risk not wearing theirs is of great concern.
“Apart from the obvious consequences if you are involved in a collision, drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front or back of vehicles are breaking the law and face an on-the-spot fine of £100.
“If the case goes to court, the fine could increase to £500, so we’re urging all motorists to take our advice and ‘Belt up’.
