MOTORISTS and their passengers are urged to stay safe this festive season by using their seat belt every time they travel in a vehicle. The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is reminding people they should belt up every time they get in a car.

According to a Department for Transport study low seatbelt use is most common among people travelling in the back of vehicles - particularly on short journeys, road trips taken late at night, early in the morning or in low speed limit areas.

Anna Higgins, communications manager at the Safer Roads Partnership, said “Although many people do wear their seatbelt, there are still some who either choose not to or simply forget. Nationally and locally, there are still collisions occurring where people haven’t worn their seatbelt and the injuries sustained could have been avoided if seatbelts were used.

“With Christmas now upon us, there are a lot of people making trips in the car to do their shopping or visit family and friends. We’re urging everyone to stay safe over the festive period and use their seatbelt every time – no matter how short or long the trip is. “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.”

The law says drivers and all vehicle passengers should wear a seatbelt and that any passenger aged 14 and over is responsible for doing so – not the driver.

National research has shown seatbelts are around 60 per cent effective at preventing fatal injuries and 32 per cent effective at preventing serious injuries; and it is estimated that more than 350 lives and 1,000 serious casualties could be saved each year if everyone in the UK wore a seatbelt.