BELT up is the message from Dyfed-Powys police to drivers in the Tivyside region after 854 people were caught committing seatbelt offences in two weeks during the All Wales Seatbelt Campaign in March.

Dyfed-Powys Police took the lead on the campaign, warning drivers they are risking their lives by not wearing belts, and cracking down on motorists and passengers who refuse to belt up. The force recorded a staggering 400 offences in the campaign’s fortnight.

Not wearing a seatbelt can be a fatal decision even on short, familiar journeys and at low speeds. As a driver you are responsible for ensuring that passengers under the age of 14 are wearing a seatbelt, or using the correct child restraint for their height and age.

Although most road users are fully aware of the potential consequences of not wearing a seatbelt, police officers throughout Wales clamped down on those continuing to ignore the law and endangering all road users.

Assistant Chief Constable, Liane James, said: “Wearing a seatbelt is such a simple, easy thing to do. As police officers, we see the consequences of driving without a seatbelt all too often at crash scenes.

“While you will face a fine if you are caught without your seatbelt on, the key message we are trying to get across is that wearing a seatbelt really could mean the difference between life and death - and that applies just as much to passengers as it does to drivers and it also endangers other people within the car.

“It's such a simple act to carry out and we will continue to work closely with our partners in tackling these issues."

Motorists and passengers who choose to risk their lives by not wearing a seatbelt could receive a £100 on-the-spot fine or be summonsed to court, where they could face fines of up to £500.??