It is thirty years to the day since it became compulsory to wear a seatbelt in the front of a car, but millions of drivers are still failing to buckle up.
New figures from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) have revealed that as many as five per cent of motorists do not wear a seatbelt, while 4 per cent of front seat passengers and 11 per cent of rear seat passengers flout the seatbelt law.
The fitment of front seatbelts to all new cars became mandatory in 1967, but it was not until 1983 that occupants were obliged to wear them. Rear seatbelts became compulsory in 1987 and rear seat passengers have been required by law to wear them since 1991.
As many as one in five people know someone who doesn't use a seatbelt in the front of their car. Drivers and passengers aged between 17 and 34 have the lowest seatbelt wearing rates of all road users.
IAM chief executive Simon Best responded to the finding, saying: "In the past three decades seatbelts have made a fantastic contribution to road safety success in Britain helping to save thousands of lives. But the ongoing message needs to be reinforced to all age groups."
You are twice as likely to die in a car accident if you're not wearing your seatbelt, and it is estimated that 300 people die on the roads every year because they fail to buckle up.
