Sussex Police crackdown on drivers

More than 500 people were caught not wearing their seatbelts in the same campaign last year - spearheaded by Sussex Police in partnership with Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.

The Europe-wide campaign, launched on Monday 12 to finish on Sunday March 18, will involve checks on motorists to ensure they are abiding by the law.

Chief Inspector Natalie Moloney said: “If you aren’t wearing a seatbelt then you are breaking the law and you can expect to be stopped and fined up to £500 if you do not have a valid excuse.

“This campaign is not just about issuing fines to those who choose not to wear a seatbelt, it is also about educating people about the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt so that they wear one in the future.

“Drivers and passengers involved in crashes who wear seatbelts are far less likely to sustain serious or fatal injuries.”

It has been law since 1983 to wear a seatbelt in a car without a valid excuse.

During the campaign checks will be carried out by both mobile and static units in marked and unmarked police cars.

Neil Hopkins, Communications Manager for the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, added: “Wearing a seatbelt is the simplest action that any car occupant can take to ensure their safety in the event of a collision.

“It’s staggering to think that some people still either forget or willfully refuse to wear a seatbelt.

“Along with the increased awareness being brought by Sussex Police, we’re reminding all motorists about our award-winning seatbelt campaign - Embrace Life.

“If you haven’t seen it yet, log onto

Embrace Life for a radically different advertising message about this important issue.”

If you are concerned about someone’s driving behaviour visit Operation Crawdown to report or call Sussex Police on 101.