Plans to introduce penalty points for drivers caught not wearing seatbelts could lead to significant behaviour change and make UK roads safer.

That is the view of an expert in enforcement technology, and it comes as new figures underline the deadly consequences of non-compliance.

Not wearing seatbelts, especially amongst young motorists, is a persistent problem revealed in crash details and statistics.

Enforcing safety

The government’s recently published Road Safety Strategy commits to gathering feedback on introducing penalty points for failure to wear a seatbelt, as well as additional points for drivers who do not ensure child passengers are properly restrained.

Currently, motorists face a fine of up to £100 for not wearing a seatbelt, rising to £500 if the case goes to court, but no penalty points are applied.

Geoff Collins, UK general manager at Acusensus and chair of ITS UK’s Enforcement Forum, said the proposed changes could mark a turning point.

“This is important because up until now you could habitually choose not to wear a seatbelt and, if you get caught, you pay the fine and have no further sanction,” he said. “But now it will affect your insurance costs and could eventually lead to losing your licence. That’s something people will have to take notice of.”

Changing attitudes

Seatbelt use has been legally required in the UK for more than 40 years.

Wearing a seatbelt in the front seats became compulsory in 1983, following years of debate and a temporary introduction, while rear seat passengers have been required to wear one since 1991 when belts are fitted.

The impact of those laws has been dramatic: studies following their introduction showed immediate and sustained reductions in deaths and serious injuries, with government estimates suggesting tens of thousands of lives have been saved since the 1980s.

In fact, the invention of the 3-point seatbelt by Volvo in the 60s is widely regarded as the most significant single road safety intervention in motoring history.

Belt up

Despite high overall compliance, failure to wear a seatbelt remains a significant factor in road deaths.

Research by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) found that in 2023, around one in four car occupants killed in collisions in Great Britain, where seatbelt status was known, were not wearing one.

Non-wearing is particularly common at night, especially between 10pm and 4am, at weekends, and among male drivers aged 35 to 44.

Rear seat passengers also remain consistently less likely to wear a seatbelt than those in the front.

New enforcement technology has highlighted the scale of the problem.

Acusensus developed its ‘Heads-Up’ camera system, which can see through windscreens to detect drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts or using mobile phones.

In Greater Manchester, Safer Roads Greater Manchester reported that the technology identified 2,400 people not wearing a seatbelt at a single roadside location over just 51 days last year.

The wrong choice

Collins said the human cost of non-compliance is often misunderstood.

“People seem to think that those who break seatbelt rules and are seriously injured or killed aren’t doing any harm other than to themselves,” he said. “But think of the emotional cost for families, friends, other road users and the emergency services who deal with the aftermath.”

He added that, unlike some driving offences, not wearing a seatbelt is a deliberate act.

“You have to actively choose not to put it on. The risk of penalty points, combined with robust enforcement and awareness courses, will definitely make a difference and save people from death or life-changing injuries.”

Road safety campaigners say the proposals build on one of the UK’s most successful safety interventions and could help tackle the stubborn minority of drivers who continue to ignore the law, decades after seatbelts proved their life-saving value.