Cheshire Police to crackdown on those not wearing a seatbelt

Cheshire Police is cracking down on those not wearing a seatbelt as part of a two-week long enforcement operation.

The Constabulary will be supporting the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) annual seatbelt operation, reminding drivers of the dangers and consequences of not wearing a seatbelt, which is one of the Fatal 5 offences - careless driving, speeding, drink/drug driving, using a mobile phone(device) while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.

From Monday 12 - Sunday 25 June, officers will be out on the roads of Cheshire proactively engaging with the public during their patrols, ensuring that both drivers and passengers are wearing their seatbelts/ child restraints correctly and driving safely.

Officers will explain, educate and where appropriate, enforce the law as not wearing a seatbelt is a critical contribution to preventing fatal collisions or serious injury to drivers themselves.

Inspector for Cheshire’s Roads and Crime Unit, Anton Sullivan, said:

“For most, putting their seatbelt on comes as second nature, but some people are making a conscious effort not to wear theirs.

“There are far too many instances where people are being seriously injured or even worse, because of a failure to wear a safety feature  that is designed to protect people in their vehicles.

“So, that is why you will see officers out on the roads engaging, educating and where necessary, enforcing the law as a way of reducing these instances and to help prevent serious and fatal collisions.

“It takes less than five seconds to put your seatbelt on – and it could save your life – it’s not worth the risk.”

It became compulsory to wear a seatbelt in the UK 40 years ago this year (2023) and for over 20 years drivers have been reminded by dashboard lights or audible warning, often both  if the vehicle is moving and the seatbelt is not correctly in use. The need to wear a seatbelt is common knowledge. But people are making a conscious effort to not to put on their seatbelts when driving their  vehicles.

By not wearing a seatbelt, you are twice as likely to die in a collision than if you were wearing one, and you also increase your risk of being ejected from the vehicle, likely to result in fatal or serious injury.

Wearing a seatbelt is the law and not only helps protect your safety, but it also helps protect the safety of others.

If a passenger is over the age of 14, it is their responsibility to ensure they wear a seatbelt. It is the driver’s responsibility for a child under the age of 14 to be in the correct car seat, or, if over 135cm tall, wearing a seatbelt. Anyone found not to be wearing their seatbelt could be fined up to £500.

As well as the two-week national enforcement, Cheshire police will be running a social media campaign with educational messages to spread awareness of the rules around seatbelt use.

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