Drivers Could Face Points For Not Wearing Seatbelt In Potential Law Change
Drivers could face penalty points for not wearing their seatbelts while driving in new laws set to be discussed by the government.
The change seeks to address a serious safety issue with 30% of all fatalities on the road in the UK in 2021 involving occupants of a vehicle not wearing their seatbelts.
It was briefly discussed in the House of Commons last week as the government seeks support for an increase in the penalties for not wearing your seatbelt while driving. The current rules mean that drivers and any passengers over the age of 14 who are caught not wearing their seatbelts can be given an on-the-spot £100 fine OR opt to take a driving awareness course which costs £52.
However, road safety experts have been calling for a tougher stance to be taken on it given that the statistics show just how crucial seatbelts are for safety, particularly in severe road traffic incidents.
Seatbelts – Are Tougher Penalties Needed?
The safety of yourself and others on the road is always being discussed, whether it’s through your actions as a driver, measures taken to improve the safety of your fleet, or preventative measures taken by vehicle manufacturers, the government, and the Highways Agencies.
And despite the three-point seatbelt being invented in 1958 and being a standard safety feature for more than 50 years, there are still issues around drivers and passengers not wearing them.
The Department for Transport’s latest research in their ‘Road Casualty Report for 2021’ has highlighted key safety issues which show that the number of fatalities per billion miles driven was higher than pre-pandemic levels, which has brought the issue to the forefront for the government.
Having more significant deterrents working in tandem with additional education and awareness campaigns could help to reduce those figures.
The reality is that anyone who drives for a living will be aware of just how much penalty points on their licence can affect them in a professional capacity, never mind personally, and it could act as a deterrent to avoid people not wearing their seatbelts in the first place.
The UK is also trialling new technology that would allow cameras on main roads such as motorways and key A-roads to detect people not wearing seatbelts, as well as other driving offences.
It would make the fine and penalty point process much simpler and remove the need for police intervention which sees many get away with driving offences by not being spotted.
The government will be discussing the possibility of rolling out the new technology, introducing penalty points for not wearing a seatbelt, and other key road safety measures in the coming weeks.
What do you think about the potential introduction of penalty points for not wearing your seatbelt while driving? Do you think it could have a significant impact on road safety? Let us know in the comments below.
