24-05-2012

125,000 people across Europe will feel a whole burning in their pocket following a week-long enforcement campaign against drivers and passengers neglecting to wear their seatbelts.

The campaign, which took place in March of this year, was conducted by police forces across Europe, who issued penalty tickets to anyone travelling without a seatbelt. Officers from 24 countries took part in the campaign, stopping any vehicle in which drivers or passengers were flouting seatbelt laws.

In total the scheme issued 125,422 penalty notices, of which 9,234 related to children who were not safely restrained.

Of course with so many stop checks being carried out, police also had the opportunity to search vehicles for other items of contraband. In total the campaign led to 41 arrests for human trafficking offences, 192 possession of drugs charges, 22 firearm offences and 35 cases of stolen goods.

The campaign was co-ordinated by TISPOL, the pan-European traffic police organisation, who carried out the campaign in response to the large number of unnecessary deaths on Europe’s roads as a result of drivers and passengers refusing to wear their seatbelts.

TISPOL president Pasi Kemppainen, said: “We want to make it clear how important it is for all occupants to wear seatbelts. If everybody is better protected then the chance of people sustaining fatal injuries as a result of road collisions is reduced significantly.

“Wearing seatbelts is the single most effective method of saving lives and reducing injuries in road crashes. This is the reason we put so much effort into enforcing the law. We want people to understand that wearing a seatbelt is not a matter of choice and we will continue to use vigorous enforcement strategies which back up the continuing education campaigns.”

So van insurance customers have been warned. Police are cracking down on those who refuse to wear their seatbelts. Increase you safety behind the wheel and belt up!