Fines for failing to wear a seatbelt on the rise

A new study from car insurance provider LV has revealed that the number of drivers being fined for not wearing a seatbelt has risen by 17 per cent across England and Wales over the past five years. So far in 2014, there have been 80,000 fines issued for failing to wear a seatbelt while driving.

The study also exposed that six per cent of drivers refuse to wear a seatbelt and nine per cent do not use the seatbelt when they are travelling as a front seat passenger. Worryingly, 24 per cent said they don’t bother to wear a seatbelt when sit in the back of a car, either.

Also highlighted by LV’s research was the ignorance of the laws regarding the use of seatbelts, with half of drivers in the UK not aware they can be fined for failing to wear a seatbelt when driving.

Senior community engagement officer Philip Goose, of road safety charity Brake, said: “We welcome this study as it shows drivers are still not heeding safety advice. They are twice as likely to be killed if not wearing a seatbelt as when wearing one.

“The importance of wearing a seatbelt cannot be overstated and more than 50,000 lives have been saved in the UK since the law was changed and seatbelt use was made compulsory in 1983.”

Another distressing statistic is the fact it’s the most vulnerable road users who are the most likely not to use a seatbelt, with young and elderly drivers being the biggest offenders. Younger drivers are more likely to break this law because they simply couldn’t be bothered, whereas older drivers reported that seatbelts were much too restrictive.

Do you regularly drive without wearing a seatbelt? What are your reasons? Have your say in the comments section below.

This article was also featured on AOL Cars