Motorists could face up to £500 fine in seatbelt crackdown

by Lisa Reeves

Sunday 11^th March 2018

Sun 11^th Mar 2018

Cheshire police officers are taking part in an international campaign to remind people to wear a seatbelt when they are in a vehicle.

The week long enforcement campaign runs from Monday 12th March and officers will be targeting people who are not wearing a seatbelt.

If you are caught without a seatbelt on you can receive a minimum fine of £100 and a maximum fine of £500. You can also be fined if a child under 14 isn't in the correct car seat, or wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the vehicle must ensure that the child has the correct car seat for their height or weight until they reach 135 centimetres tall, or they reach their 12th birthday, whichever is first.

Sergeant Simon Tickle said: "For most motorists putting on a seatbelt has become second nature but there is still a small minority of people who persist in not wearing a seatbelt.

"The statistics are clear – you are twice as likely to be killed in a crash if you are not wearing a seatbelt. We will be out stopping those people who are risking their lives and they will be getting an expensive reminder in the post why they should have buckled up."

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Julian Barlow

Sunday 11^th March 2018 at 8:01 pm

I sincerely hope that Sergeant Tickle is married to a lady called Tess.

Pete Taylor

Sunday 11^th March 2018 at 9:22 pm

I struggle with this problem slightly; surely that "small minority" who drive without seat belts put only their own lives in danger; however, the much larger minority who use hand-held telephones whilst driving put everyone near them in danger. In the days of blue-tooth hands-free technology this is inexcusable; target them, not only for a week but every day of the year.

Oliver Romain

Monday 12^th March 2018 at 7:11 am

Not wearing a seatbelt endangers others in the vehicle and costs the NHS and other services when people are injured.

Simon Worthington

Thursday 15^th March 2018 at 4:21 pm

Another useful job undertaken enthusiastically by our local boys in blue. No chance of facing any danger or difficult situations just a few hours sitting in a nice warm vehicle lecturing the odd aberrant motorist. Possibly, maybe, if those apprehended then have a full safety check performed on their vehicle a few unsafe ones may be removed from the road. A little more time spent on illegally parked or obstructing vehicles could be more productive.