Road users in Warwickshire urged to wear their seatbelt

The appeal comes after a Government study that found that journeys taken late at night, early in the morning or within low speed limit areas when people are less likely to wear a seatbelt.

It is the law for the driver and all passengers in the vehicle to wear their seatbelt and national research has shown that seatbelts are around 60 per cent effective at preventing deaths and 32 per cent effective at preventing serious injuries.

Once passengers reach the age of 14, the responsibility for wearing their seatbelt is their own and not the driver’s.

Anna Higgins, communications manager at the Safer Roads Partnership, said: “Although many people do wear their seatbelt, there are still some who either choose not to or simply forget.

“Nationally and locally, there are still collisions occurring where people haven’t worn their seatbelt and the injuries sustained could have been avoided if seatbelts were used.

“With Christmas now upon us, there are a lot of people making trips in the car to do their shopping or visit family and friends. We’re urging everyone to stay safe over the festive period and use their seatbelt every time – no matter how short or long the trip is.

“Seatbelts are an effective means of reducing serious injuries and fatalities and anything we can do to increase their use has got to be a positive step.”