Motorists warned to belt up as police launch safety campaign on Northamptonshire's roads

No seat belt makes you 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle and doubles chances of dying in a collision
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Motorists are being warned to belt up as Northamptonshire Police launches its latest safety crackdown on Monday.

Officers are out in force on the county's roads from today (June 22), looking for anyone who is not wearing a seat belt.

Offenders face fines of up to £500 if caught.

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PC Dave Lee, of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team, said: “Wearing a seat belt in a car is such a basic piece of road safety advice that it amazes me that some people still fail to use one.

"This also applies to people not wearing their seat belt correctly.

“By not wearing a seat belt, you’re 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle and twice as likely to die from injuries as a result of a collision. So please take responsibility for your personal safety on the roads and belt up!

“Having attended a number of fatal road traffic collisions where people have been ejected from the car, the consequences of not wearing a seat belt just aren’t worth contemplating.”

Police will be out in force in Northamptonshire from today watching for drivers not wearing seat beltsPolice will be out in force in Northamptonshire from today watching for drivers not wearing seat belts
Police will be out in force in Northamptonshire from today watching for drivers not wearing seat belts
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“For the next three weeks, we will be out and about across the county looking for people who can’t spend five seconds putting their seat belt on.

"The penalties people may face can include a fixed penalty fine and in some cases, a court appearance."

Week One of the campaign will focus on educating car occupants on the dangers of not wearing a seat belt as well as passenger safety — in particular, the use of child seats and transporting those under the age of 14.

This is followed by a further two weeks of enforcement when anyone caught not wearing a seat belt can take an online education course or receive a fixed penalty fine of £100. If they elect to go to court, the fine increases to a maximum £500.

Figures show a third of people killed in road accidents were not wearing seat beltsFigures show a third of people killed in road accidents were not wearing seat belts
Figures show a third of people killed in road accidents were not wearing seat belts
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Drivers who are stopped for carrying too many passengers for their vehicle will receive an automatic three points on their driving licence and a fixed penalty fine of £100.

The campaign aims to reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on UK roads. Not wearing a seat belt is one of the main contributors and is one of the 'fatal four' driving offences, alongside drink and drugs, using mobile phones at the wheel and speeding.

Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on the county’s road is one of the Northamptonshire force’s policing priorities.

Deaths in the county hit an eight-year high in 2019 when 42 people were killed and a further 347 seriously injured.

And recent figures revealed almost a third of people killed in car crashes on UK roads were not wearing a seat belt.