Drivers who don't wear seatbelts 'could face penalty points and even ban'

28 July 2021, 15:19

Drivers who don't wear seatbelts face penalties and even ban . Picture: Alamy

By Sophie Barnett

Drivers who fail to wear a seatbelt face being slapped with three points on their licence and even a ban, reports suggest.

Motorists who are caught unbuckled in England, Scotland and Wales currently face a £100 fine for the offence, but this could all change as part of a road safety plan to be published later this year, according to a report in The Times.

The new rules could see drivers receive three penalty points for not wearing a seatbelt - and even a driving ban - following fears over falling compliance levels.

The penalty may apply even if the driver has a seatbelt on but a passenger does not, and repeat offenders could face a driving ban under totting-up rules.

Figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) showed that 1,752 people were killed on Britain’s roads in 2019, with drivers or passengers in cars accounting for the highest number of deaths (736).

Almost a quarter of those (23 per cent) were not wearing seatbelts – an increase of 19 per cent from six years earlier.

DfT is expected to outline tougher punishments to those who choose not to wear a seatbelt later this week, The Times said.