Penalty call over backseat belts

Only 69% of people belt up in the back, according to figures

Drivers should be given penalty points for not ensuring their backseat passengers are wearing seatbelts, a safety advisory body said.

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety wants the offence to carry three penalty points and a heavier fine.

It says this would significantly reduce the number of deaths on the roads.

But the Department of Transport says penalty points should be reserved for the most serious offences.

The latest government figures show that around 30% of people over 14 do not belt up in the back of cars.

This is compared to 95% of front seat passengers who do wear seatbelts.

Currently, the heaviest fine people over 14 face for not belting up is £30.

'Clear message'

Robert Gifford, who is executive director of Pacts, the body which advises parliament on transport safety, is calling for tougher penalties.

"It would send a very clear message to drivers and to passengers that wearing your seatbelt is not a matter of comfort or discomfort, it's actually a matter of protecting your and other people's safety," he said.

However, the Department of Transport says it does not see the need for such a move. It believes educating drivers combined with the enforcement of current law is the best way forward.