More than 450 seatbelt offences in two weeks

Update from Humberside Police:

A staggering 455 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) were issued in our region in just two weeks as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of wearing a seatbelt in a vehicle.

It has been compulsory to wear a seatbelt since 1983 for drivers and since 1991 for passengers. However, more than 450 offences were spotted by officers on our region’s roads between Monday 13 June and Sunday 26 June.

These roadside checks also led to the identification of further offences, such as driving whilst disqualified, driving without a licence or insurance, and driving without an MOT.

The lack of seatbelt use continues to be a contributory factor in a number of recent fatalities on our region’s roads.

Sgt Marc Chance of our Roads Policing Unit said: “Please wear a seatbelt on every journey, no matter how short it is. It’s the law and could prevent you or your passengers from sustaining serious or potentially fatal injuries. It’s not worth the risk.

“We want to make Humberside’s roads safer for everyone, and motorists could play an important part in that just by wearing a seatbelt.

“My Roads Policing colleagues and I have seen first-hand the devastating consequences of not wearing a seatbelt.

“In a collision, you are twice as likely to survive if you are wearing a seatbelt. If you are not wearing a seatbelt, you could hit the windscreen at a force of 30 to 60 times your body weight.

“Wearing a seatbelt is the law. It is not a choice. It saves lives.”

The penalty for not wearing a seatbelt is £100, or £500 if prosecuted. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure all under-14s in the vehicle are wearing a seatbelt. If not, the driver faces a £500 fine.

You can follow our Roads Policing Unit on Twitter @HumberbeatRoads