Lancashire Telegraph launches seatbelt campaign after shock survey (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire Telegraph launches seatbelt campaign after shock survey

2:59pm Wednesday 12th August 2009 in News By Nafeesa Shan, Reporter

Lancashire Telegraph launches seatbelt campaign after shock survey

THE Lancashire Telegraph today joins forces with road safety groups to launch a campaign urging parents to ensure their children wear seatbelts.

Love Your Kids? Belt Them In! aims to conquer the shockingly complacent attitudes revealed in a major survey.

More than half of children questioned in the area were not strapped in by their parents.

Experts say that at just 30mph an unrestrained child would be thrown forward with a force 30 to 50 times their body weight, putting their lives in danger.

In just one hour yesterday a Lancashire Telegraph survey on a major local road found 53 people, including children, not belted in.

Our findings underline the shock July research which revealed half of children questioned were not being strapped in by their parents.

The Telegraph has now joined forces with the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety and the Blackburn with Darwen Casualty Reduction Team for Love Your Kids? Belt Them In!

Together we will run educational roadshows, the first of which takes place in Blackburn town centre tomorrow, and go into schools and community centres to get the belt-up message across.

The Telegraph will also accompany police as officers stage special crackdown days during which they will carry out spot checks on passing vehicles.

Overall the campaign aims to:

• Raise awareness so that parents, carers and motorists belt themselves and any children in for every car journey
• Educate pupils across East Lancashire on the vital need to belt up
• Promote the law surrounding seatbelts
• Ensure people are aware how to both choose the correct booster seat and know how to fit them correctly.

Lancashire Telegraph Editor Kevin Young said the “shocking survey underlined the need for action”, while Linda Sanderson, of the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said “parents and carers needed to take responsibilty”.

Claire Waterhouse, of the casualty reduction team, said there needed to be a “100 per cent improvement” on the matter.

Carl Christopher, from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, welcomed Love Your Kids? Belt Them In!

He said: “The importance of wearing a seatbelt and wearing it properly cannot be overstated. Seatbelts do save lives.

“We want parents to strap in and explain the importance of belting up to their children. We hear of some terrible injuries where people are thrown from cars and wearing a seatbelt can stop that from happening.”

Gordon Birtwistle, leader of Burnley Council, said: “Even if you are a safe driver it is hard to predict what other drivers are going to do so it is best to be as safe as possible.

“It is good the Lancashire Telegraph is doing someth-ing to try and reduce the number of people killed and injured in car accidents.”

The campaign comes on the back of research by the Casualty Reduction Team in Blackburn with Darwen which found that more than half of 10-year-olds did not wear seatbelts in cars.

Research suggests that a third of people involved in car crashes are not belted up. Nationally it is predicted wearing a seatbelt could save a life a day.

Telegraph Editor Mr Young said: “Thirty seven years since Jimmy Saville’s ‘Clunk Click Every Trip’ public information film, it is shocking that more than half of parents are still not belting their children in.

“Failing to strap in your children is putting their lives at risk. It only takes a few seconds to ensure they are belted in. That is a small price to pay for their safety.”

The law, which came into effect on September 18, 2006, states that a seatbelt must be worn by the driver and all passengers in a car.

A child aged under three must be sat in a correct car seat, while a youngster between three and 12 or under 135cms tall must have a booster seat.

The driver faces prose-cution if this is not adhered to. Youngsters aged 14 and above face prosecution if they do not belt up.

Ms Waterhouse, of Capita Symonds, the firm which runs the casualty reduction team for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We were really shocked such a high percentage of Year 6 children do not wear seatbelts.

“We aim to get the message out to parents about the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt or having the correct child restraints on their children and them-selves.

“We want to see a 100 per cent increase in people wearing seatbelts.”

Ms Sanderson, communications manager for the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: “The campaign is a way to make parents and carers take responsibility for belting their children up in the car and we need to raise awareness across Lancashire.

“We need more people to take this seriously."