Seat belt campaign in Nottinghamshire cracks down on offences

Targeted car stops have been carried out as part of a national campaign encouraging people to wear their seatbelts.

Officers from Nottinghamshire Police joined other forces across the country by taking part in the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) annual national seat belt campaign.

The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of not wearing a seat belt while driving or as a passenger.

Not wearing a seat belt increases the chances of being death or serious injury in a collision and is one of the fatal four driving offences, alongside; drink and drug-driving, speeding, and using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.

The first week of the campaign focused on educating motorists on the consequences of not wearing a seat belt, followed by a further two weeks of enforcement.

During this time officers stopped 34 vehicles, with 34 seat belt offences detected.

Chief Inspector Simon Allardice, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads is a key priority for the force and our partners.

“There are many good things we get to do as police officers, but one of the worst is having to tell somebody that their loved one has died in a road traffic collision.

“To put it bluntly, this is twice as likely to happen if you don’t wear a seat belt."

It has been compulsory for drivers to wear a seatbelt since 1983, and since 1991 for passengers. People who fail to adhere to the rules can face fines of up to £500.

National figures released by the NPCC reveal that men are more likely to not wear a seatbelt than women and 16 to 25 year-olds are most likely to be killed or seriously injured when not wearing a seatbelt.

Allardice continued: “You are also far less likely to be seriously injured or cause serious injury to your fellow passengers if you are wearing a seat belt.

“People have been obliged to a wear seat belts for a very long time in this country and the evidence of their effectiveness is overwhelming.

“All too often our officers are not only seeing and speaking to people who are not wearing seat belts; they are also attending fatal and serious collisions where the simple act of wearing a seat belt could have avoided death or serious injury.

“For the sake of an action that takes only a couple of seconds this is incredibly sad.

“Ultimately that is what this campaign was all about ­— reducing death and serious injury on our roads and the misery this causes.”