After research revealed that 3 in 10 back seat passengers do not wear a seat belt the UK government has responded by raising the fine for those caught travelling without a belt from £30 to £60 pounds. In the words of Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker:
“The vast majority of motorists wear seatbelts but some drivers and passengers still choose not to, even though wearing a belt is a key factor in avoiding death or injury in a car crash.
“By increasing the fixed penalty we hope to deter more motorists from not wearing a seatbelt and underline to them and other road users the risks.”
Government Ministers estimated that 350 lives could have been saved in 2006 had all vehicle occupants been wearing seatbelts, a figure that is likely to feature prominently as plans for the increased fine are publicised. A new advertising campaign to remind people to use a seatbelt will be launched in the coming months by the Department for Transport.
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.
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.
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