Belt up or Else

Senior road policing officers are concerned about the number of Warwickshire motorists prepared to risk their own and other’s lives by ignoring seatbelt laws.

A total of 247 people were issued with a fixed penalty notice during a county-wide enforcement campaign between February 19 and February 25.

The majority of those breaking the law (238) were adults travelling in the front of cars.

Chief Inspector John Timmis said: “Warwickshire is one of the safest places to live compared with other parts of the country, however in Warwickshire you are eight times more likely to be killed on the road than as a result of a criminal assault.

During the past 2 years, 25 people died on Warwickshire roads as a direct consequence of not wearing a seatbelt. This represents one in every three of our road deaths. Many more have suffered life changing injury, amputation or paralysis.

Chief Inspector Timmis added:

“The campaign clearly shows that there are still large numbers of people willing to risk the lives of themselves and their fellow travellers by failing to comply with seat belt legislation most of which has been with us for more than 23 years.

“We shouldn’t need to enforce this, it should be routine for people to wear their seatbelts , but we are genuinely trying to protect our communities and we will have to keep up the pressure on this sizeable part of our motoring public. Expect no quarter - seatbelts do save lives and their use is compulsory. “