Motorists who do not wear a seat belt should face penalty points on their driving licence, a minister has been told.
The Government faced calls to introduce a stricter punishment after the Prime Minister was issued with a fixed penalty notice for not wearing a seat belt while travelling as a passenger in a moving car. Rishi Sunak was spotted without a seat belt in an Instagram video he filmed while travelling during a visit to Lancashire on January 19.
In the Lords, Lib Dem peer Baroness Randerson called for the harsher penalty, telling peers: "Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the introduction of seat belt laws in the UK. It has saved many thousands of lives since, yet in 2021, 30% of those killed in car accidents were not wearing their seat belts. The recent experience of the Prime Minister has revealed the importance of raising awareness."
