Seatbelts

Seatbelts are designed to retain people in their seats, and so prevent or reduce injuries suffered in a crash. They ensure that as little contact is made between the occupant and vehicle interior as possible.

Seatbelts are designed to work as the key part of wider injury prevention measures and safety systems, such as airbags and head restraints, which will not be as effective in reducing the risk of injury if an occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

Wearing a seatbelt saves hundreds of lives every year. You should wear a seatbelt in both the front and rear seats. Wearing a seatbelt in the back is just as important as wearing one in the front of the vehicle.

If you’re sitting in the back of a car without a seat belt and you crash at 30mph, you will hit the front seat – and anyone in it – with a force of 30 to 60 times your own body weight.

The Law

• Drivers and passengers who fail to wear seat belts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law.
• Drivers caught without a seat belt face on-the-spot fines of £100. If prosecuted, the maximum fine is £500.