Fine for not wearing seatbelt doubled to £60

From today motorists and passengers face fines of £60 as a deterrent for minor safety offences

In the latest safety initiative by the government, the penalty fines for not wearing a seatbelt will rise from £30 to £60 from today.  The penalty for motorists who have deliberately disguised or altered their number plates has also doubled to £60, as a reaction to concerns from the police that their warnings are going unnoticed.

A recent Home Office consultation found that many motorists and vehicle passengers are still travelling without a seatbelt.  This is despite high profile media campaigns designed to draw attention to the 1 fatal injury every day that could be prevented had that person been wearing a seatbelt at the time of their crash.

Not only does not wearing a seatbelt increase your risk of injury in a road traffic accident, should the worst happen and you have an accident, it will also affect the amount of compensation you receive.

The effects of safety/seatbelts on compensation claims

When awarding compensation to the victims of non-fault road traffic accidents (RTA), the courts will take into account whether or not the victim was wearing a seat belt. Any compensation awarded to an accident victim who was not wearing a seat belt will typically be reduced by around 30% if the injuries could have been completely prevented or significantly reduced or by 15% if the injuries could have been slightly reduced.

At Camps Solicitors we see all too often the very serious consequences that wearing a seat belt can have. Often very serious injuries could have been prevented or lessened if the victim had been wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

If you have been injured in a road traffic accident and you would like more information about making a personal injuries compensation claim, call Camps today on 0800 092 8586.