50,000 lives saved – thanks to seatbelts

20 years of mandatory seatbelt wearing for front seat passengers has saved an estimated 50,0000 lives in the UK - but even more lives could be saved if everyone remembered to belt up. That's the message from a group of local authorities working together in England's eastern region

Nearly half of all adult passengers still fail to wear their seatbelts and in the eastern region they stand a higher chance of being caught during September, when the eight authorities will be supporting the DfT’s seatbelt campaign.

Some of the authorities will be joining with their local police forces to target the school run as many parents are failing to ensure that their children are belted up. One of the most common excuses for this is that it is only a short journey. What parents may not realise is that about two thirds of all accidents in which people are killed or seriously injured happen on roads with a maximum speed limit of 30mph or less.

The other stage of the campaign will be to carry out spot checks on local roads to stop anyone who is travelling unrestrained. Police or RSOs will speak to those who have been stopped to remind them of the benefits of wearing a seatbelt. They will be given a leaflet explaining the seatbelt law and if they are carrying children will be given advice on child restraints.