DRIVERS are being warned that they will now earn points on their licence for not wearing a seat belt, in the wake of a crackdown on road safety laws.
Under the new rules, included in the government’s Road Safety Action Plan, drivers will receive penalty points, as well as the current £100 fine, if they are not wearing a seat belt.
Fines can also be given if a child under 14 isn’t in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt, which can increase to £500 if the case is taken to court.
The Department for Transport has not confirmed how many points will be given for the offence.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com says: “Wearing a seat belt has been compulsory in the UK since 1983.
“It’s hard to understand why thousands of drivers don’t belt up when it can make such a difference to our safety.
"However, there is some confusion around the necessity of wearing a seat belt on occasions such as when you’re reversing or if you’re a taxi driver carrying passengers.”
Other potential proposals include banning young drivers from driving at night, in an attempt to minimise the number of accidents on the roads.
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