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Thirteen people not wearing seat belts killed in three years
Hundreds of drivers are continuing to flout the law and putting lives at risk by not wearing seat belts.
One in 10 people killed on the county's roads in the last three years was not wearing a belt.
Thirteen people who died between 2007 and 2009 were not wearing restraints. A further 128 injured in accidents were not wearing them.
Failing to buckle up is one of the four main causes of death on the roads and during a county police operation carried out last weekend, 38 drivers were stopped for not wearing a seat belt.
County collision reduction manager John Spencer said: "The consequences of not buckling up can be tragic."
It became compulsory to use seat belts in the front of vehicles in 1983.
Children were required to wear back seat belts from 1989, and for adults it became compulsory in 1991.
Peter White, 66, of Barnwell Street in Kettering, said: "I always wear a seat belt now, but I think it should be left up to the individual to decide whether they want to wear one of not."
Maureen Skipper, of Woodlands Road in Irchester, said: "I always buckle up and I've never gone out without putting on my seat belt. I think people that don't deserve all they get."
Mr Spencer said: "There are many instances where people forget to wear a seat belt or don't bother. It is appalling considering such a simple device is an absolute life-saver.
"There are two types of motorist. There are those who choose not to wear one, often on short journeys from home like shopping or the school run. However, statistically you are more likely to be involved in a collision when you're less than three miles from home than you are in most other places.
"There are those people who jump in the car and just don't bother to put a seat belt on and there are some who perhaps genuinely forget. It should become part of your driving routine so I can't understand that."
The consequences of not buckling up can be tragic. TV advertising campaigns have included graphic images showing what can happen if you fail to belt up.
Mr Spencer has seen first-hand the impact of not using a seat belt.
He said: "For 20 years I was the senior collision investigator for
Northamptonshire Police and I attended thousands of collisions involving death and serious injury.
"There were so many cases where I stood at the scene of something quite horrendous and I knew the person would have survived or the severity of the injuries would have been a lot less if they had put on a seat belt.
"It is very frustrating for us and for the bereaved families it is very hard to take.
"That very simple routine of putting on a seat belt before setting off would have meant a very different outcome."
What is perhaps more shocking is the number of parents who fail to make sure their children are wearing a seat belt.
Using a seat belt became compulsory for children sitting in the back of the car in 1989, but there were 77 offences recorded last year involving children not wearing a seat belt.
Mr Spencer said: "It really makes very little difference in a collision where you are in the car.
"I've seen many cases where a rear seat passenger not wearing a seat belt was thrown clear out of a hatchback.
"You can be propelled great distances from the vehicle.
"The hardest thing for us in the emergency services and road safety to understand is the number of adult drivers who fail to ensure their children are properly restrained. That is pretty unforgivable.
"The adult is often wearing a seat belt but the child is bobbing about in the back. I would have thought that would be absolutely sacrosanct."
He added: "It is such a simple thing to put on a seat belt whether you are going 100 yards or 100 miles yet it could make such a big difference.
"For the life of me I can't understand why people don't."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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