In a crash a person not belted in is twice as likely to die than someone who is wearing one.
Of the 1,432 people killed in car accidents nationally in 2007, around 34 per cent were not wearing a seatbelt.
It is estimated that 300 lives could have been saved in 2007 if the driver or passenger had been wearing a seatbelt.
People are less likely to wear seatbelts on short journeys or at low speeds, according to experts.
Volvo introduced the first three-point belt used in cars exactly 50 years ago.
Former Blackburn MP Barbara Castle, Minister of Transport, championed seatbelts and passed legislation which meant every car must be fitted with them.
Research shows 24 per cent of people admit they occasionally do not wear seatbelts in the back and 10 per cent admit to not wearing them sometimes when sat in the front.
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