Drivers have been told to ensure their toddlers and young children wear seat belts when travelling in the back seat of their cars. Road safety technology experts at Snooper said youngsters can be tempted to undo their own seat belts during journeys, so it is important for parents and carers to make sure they haven't unclicked.
The plea to be extra cautious comes as it was reported in the Department of Transports Road Casualty Report that 24% of car occupant fatalities were not wearing a seat belt, Snooper said. It is a substantial figure given that in the year ending June 2022 there were 29,804 reported killed and seriously injured casualties on British roads, the company said.
Research also shows that the number of rear seat passengers observed not wearing seat belts is considerably lower than front passengers. If a child undoes their seat belt or harness while the car is moving, the driver should pull over as soon as it is safe to do so.
