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National Seatbelt Campaign

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14 September 2017

By Lauren H

We all know just how important it is to wear a seatbelt while driving, or while a passenger in a car, but not everyone seems to abide by this law quite as strictly as they should.

So, to encourage the proper use of seatbelts, for both adults and children, police across Durham and Cleveland are supporting a national seatbelt campaign. From Monday 11 September, officers will be extra vigilant at checking whether passengers and drivers are wearing their seatbelts, stopping anyone who isn’t.

If you don’t know already, the law states that it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that safety restraints are worn by all passengers under 14. More specifically, children must have a suitable child car restraint until they are 135cm tall, or 12 years old, depending on which comes first. In comparison, passengers over 14 years old are responsible for their own safety, and those caught not wearing a seatbelt could face prosecution.

Inspector Mark Pitt from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit commented:

Those who do not wear a seatbelt take an immeasurable risk with their own lives and the lives of others travelling in the vehicle.

The important thing to remember is that seat-belts do save lives. The aim of this campaign is to keep people as safe on our roads as we possibly can, and by raising awareness of the need for seat-belts and the appropriate child car restraints, we hope to reduce the numbers of people seriously injured, and potentially killed, across Cleveland and Durham.

So, make sure you’re wearing your seatbelt!

 

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