MOTORISTS and their passengers are being urged by West Mercia Police to belt up as part of a European-wide seatbelt enforcement campaign this week.

The police are encouraging drivers to stay safe and use their seatbelt every time they travel in a vehicle and are urging passengers do the same.

Together with The Safer Roads Partnership, the police will use a combination of awareness-raising and enforcement activities.

Superintendent Lee Davenport, head of force operations, said: “Enforcing the law on seatbelt use will be the primary focus for this campaign and our officers are fully committed to supporting this issue throughout all areas of West Mercia.

“Seatbelts are an effective means of reducing serious injuries and fatalities and anything we can do to increase their use has got to be a positive step.”

It is the law in the UK that drivers and passengers in cars must wear a seatbelt, unless they have a medical exemption certificate.

Children must use an appropriate child restraint and it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that any passenger under 14-years-old is using the appropriate child restraint or an adult seatbelt.

A review of research on the effectiveness of seatbelts found that their use reduces the probability of being killed by 40 to 50 per cent for drivers and front seat passengers and by about 25 per cent for passengers in rear seats.

Vicki Bristow, communications manager at the Safer Roads Partnership, said: “Although the vast majority of people do wear their seatbelt, there are still some who either choose not to or simply forget.

“Nationally and locally, there are collisions occurring where people haven’t worn their seatbelt and the injuries sustained could have been avoided if seatbelts were used.”

Drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in vehicles now face an on-the-spot fine of £100 and if prosecuted, the maximum fine can be up to £500.