Seat belt offences uncovered during Waltham Abbey operation

Nearly 100 seat belt offences were detected during a recent ‘Surround a Town’ event in Waltham Abbey – despite a recent plea for drivers to buckle up and familiarise themselves with seat belt laws.

Organised by the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP), Surround a Town sees resources focussed on a tight geographical area, often where there are high rates of collisions and casualties.

The initiative uses a combination of enforcement and engagement to highlight the importance of safe and legal driving.

The latest Surround a Town day took place in Waltham Abbey on 11 June, with a total of 187 vehicles stopped by officers.

In total 99 seat belt offences were detected – while three drivers were arrested for drug driving.

A further 27 drivers were caught using a mobile phone while at the wheel – with 10 drivers stopped for failing to be in proper control.

In May, SERP urged drivers and passengers to buckle up and familiarise themselves with seat belt laws.

Statistics show that despite compliance rates of 98.6% among British car drivers, 27% of those killed in cars in 2017 were not wearing a seat belt – amounting to more than 200 deaths.

In Essex, 8,226 people were caught not wearing a seat belt during 2018 – all of whom were required to complete an online course.

14 June 2019