Spot checks on seatbelt safety

More than 100 motorists were stopped on Tuesday for flouting seatbelt laws in the first day of a campaign to cut road accidents in the Forest of Dean.

Officers carried out checks in Westbury-on-Severn for six hours as part of an eight-week long campaign against drink-driving, speeding, using mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts.

Sergeant Chris Price said: "We were surprised to discover that so many people are still ignoring the law by failing to wear a seatbelt.

"This is happening at a time when it is now widely recognised that wearing a seatbelt can save a person's life or help them avoid serious injury if involved in a road traffic collision."

All motorists pulled over were given the choice of taking part in an on-the-spot education programme or being given a fixed penalty fine.

Everyone opted to avoid the fine.

Police will be carrying out further stop checks across the Forest in the coming weeks.