Rospa says only 69% of van drivers wear a seat belt

Hundreds of people are being killed in road crashes every year because they're not wearing a seat belt.

The first seat belt law – which made it compulsory to wear them in the front of cars – came into force 25 years ago today.

But the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) says 370 people die each year because they aren't wearing a seat belt.

The accident safety body estimates that 6% of people sitting in the front of vehicles don't wear a seat belt and the problem is far worse among van drivers and their passengers.

Van drivers
Rospa says only 69% of van drivers and 58% of their passengers actually wear a seat belt and it’s now urging employers to do more to ensure their drivers and other employees wear their seat belts.

A further law making it compulsory to wear seat belts in the back of cars was introduced in 1991.

But Rospa says that 30% of adults are still not wearing them in the back.

Rospa’s Head of Road Safety, Kevin Clinton, said: ‘It is shocking that a stubborn minority of people still do not belt up when they get into a vehicle. Research shows that about a third of car occupants receiving fatal injuries are not wearing seat belts.

‘We need to understand why they are still not getting the message and to ensure there are regular, targeted campaigns so that deaths and injuries continue to reduce.’

Now ROSPA is calling for drivers and passengers who fail to wear their belts to receive three penalty points.

At present, those convicted in court of a seatbelt offence face a maximum fine of £500.

If a Fixed Penalty Notice is offered and accepted, then the fine is £30.

However, failing to wear a seatbelt is not currently a penalty point offence.

The Department of Transport said it was not yet considering making the non wearing of a seatbelt a penalty point offence, although the road safety minister, Jim Fitzpatrick said: "Government campaigns have helped increase the numbers of people wearing seatbelts to more than 90% for drivers and front seat passengers but too many back seat passengers are still not belting up.”