Police officers across the county will be highlighting the importance of belting up when in a car as it could save your life.
The European Campaign launches today and will run until 18th March. Police officers in Cumbria will be attending schools to education young children about the importance of wearing a seat belt and drivers will be advised of the best car seat for their children.
In 2011 the campaign saw 115,038 penalties issued for not wearing a seatbelt, including 3,642 relating to children not being restrained correctly.
PC Lee Hill, who is the lead for Cumbria Constabulary on this campaign, said, “It is important that we highlight the importance of wearing a seat belt, no matter what the age, recent statistics show that in a serious accident you are twice as likely to survive if you are wearing a seatbelt. However, a number of children are not being restrained correctly when in a car.
Child seats can be expensive but it is a small cost to give a child the most protection when in a car. We will be handing out leaflets to people which provides more information on the correct child seat to use.
We will be focusing on educating drivers, but those who drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law and face on-the-spot fines of £60. If prosecuted, the maximum fine is £500."
To assist, some of the regulations have been summarised below. For more information go to ... http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Roadsafetyadvice/DG_4022064
· You must wear a sealtbelt is one is fitted.
· Anyone aged 14 and over is responsible for wearing their seatbelt.
· It is the drivers’ responsibility for anyone under the age of 14.
· Children must use a correct car seat until they reach 135 cm or 12th birthday
There are exemptions to wearing a seatbelt, for example:
- Reversing.
- Goods vehicle on deliveries travelling no more than 50 meters between stops.
- A licensed taxi driver ‘plying for hire’ or carrying passengers.
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