Seat belt offences may mean points on licence
Current £500 fine may be replaced by a three-point endorsement under plans to improve road safety
Failing to wear a seat belt could soon result in drivers being penalised with points on their licences as the Government considers a change in the law. At present, motorists can be fined up to £500 for failing to wear a seat belt but under the change, which would bring the offence in line with mobile phone use, offenders could also be forced to accept points.
FAILING to wear a seat belt could soon result in drivers being penalised with points on their licences as the Government considers a change in the law.
At present, motorists can be fined up to £500 for failing to wear a seat belt but under the change, which would bring the offence in line with mobile phone use, offenders could also be forced to accept points on their licence.
The Department for Transport told The Daily Telegraph it was considering whether to implement the policy change as part of a new action plan on road safety.
Jesse Norman, the road safety minister, said: “Failure to wear a seat belt is illegal and dangerous, and can have devastating consequences.
“The Government has been actively looking at whether to introduce penalty points to help stop this reckless behaviour as part of the forthcoming Road Safety Action Plan.”
The news came as research from Direct Line car insurance revealed the British public overwhelmingly support the introduction of penalty points for those found not to be wearing a seat belt when driving, with 72 per cent saying they back a change to the law.
In Northern Ireland, failing to wear a seat belt already carries three penalty points unlike in England, Scotland and Wales.
Of those calling for the introduction of penalty points, 58 per cent believe three points would be an appropriate punishment. However, 30 per cent believe the penalty should be six points, the same as when using a mobile phone while driving.
One in 20 Britons believes flouting seat-belt laws should result in an automatic driving ban of at least three months.
Recent figures have shown that more than one in four car occupants killed in road crashes in Britain in 2017 were not wearing a seat belt. A fact which road safety campaigners and the Government described as “shocking”.
The latest figures show that of the 787 drivers or passengers who died in 2017, 27 per cent were not wearing seat belts, up from 20 per cent in 2016.
Gus Park, the managing director of Direct Line motor insurance, said: “Thirty six years ago, mandatory seat belt wearing was introduced and has proved to be one of the most effective road safety measures in the history of motoring. It may not prevent collisions, but it can and does prevent death and serious injury.
“We know that the vast majority of drivers and passengers wear a seat belt, however, the failure of a minority to consistently wear a seat belt is associated with a disproportionately high number of serious injuries and deaths.”