More than 2,700 fined under seatbelt laws in Kirklees in two-and-a-half years

Oct 14 2010 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MORE than 2,700 drivers have been fined for failing to wear seatbelts in Kirklees since the start of 2008.

The figures were revealed as calls were made for stricter enforcement and harsher penalties for motorists who refuse to fasten their belts.

According to West Yorkshire Police, the number of fixed penalty notices handed out in the division was 985 in 2008, 1,221 last year and 534 in the first six months of this year.

During the same period, more than 20,000 on-the-spot fines have been issued across West Yorkshire.

A seatbelt offence currently carries a minimum penalty of £60 fixed penalty fine with no endorsable penalty points.

If the case goes to court, this can increase to a maximum fine of £500.

Huddersfield road policing sergeant Paul Denton said in a specific crackdown on the issue two weeks ago, 180 people were given tickets over the course of a week.

He said: "It’s an issue that we take very seriously and we will enforce the law as and when we see people not wearing their seatbelts.

"The evidence shows that people who don’t wear their seatbelts are far more likely to get seriously injured or killed.