News

12 September 2008
MOTORISTS STILL FLOUTING THE LAW, SAYS POLICE CHIEF

Driving your children to school is a commonplace event in today’s world. 

But driving three school-aged children in the front seat of a works van which was designed for only two passengers and the driver is very dangerous.  And the driver of such a vehicle in Dunoon town centre found out how dangerous when stopped by Strathclyde Police and charged for it on Thursday.

Yesterday was the fourth ‘Seatbelt / Speeding Day of Action’ this year led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) involving all eight of the country’s police forces.

During the 24-hour campaign, police forces caught 545 motorists and passengers not wearing their seatbelt and over 200 speeders, according to Chief Superintendent Michael McCormick (Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary), who speaks on casualty reduction for ACPOS.

“How an adult can transport children in any type of vehicle who are not properly restrained defies rational thinking,” Mr. McCormick stressed.  “It is not only common sense to have children buckled up, it is the law!”

Nine children were observed not wearing seatbelts for which the drivers were issued with a conditional offer.

“There has been a lot of publicity of late to remind motorists of the dangers and risks associated with failing to buckle up,” he added.  “Research shows that children will copy adult behaviour and this is something that I would like to remind drivers when they have children in their vehicle.”

Particular emphasis was paid during the day-long campaign to light commercial goods vehicles (white vans) because drivers have had a lower rate of compliance with seatbelt and speeding laws than any other vehicle user group.  That proved true again on Thursday as 215 light goods drivers were stopped for not wearing their seatbelt and 19 for speeding.

Throughout Scotland,  269 drivers of other types of vehicles were also stopped for failing to wear their seatbelt while 13 passengers in the front seats of light goods vehicles were ticketed.  In other vehicles, 39 passengers were caught not wearing their seatbelts (30 front; 9 rear).

 “Research shows that seatbelt use and speeding continues to be a major problem on our roads,” Chief Superintendent McCormick concluded.  “These days of action are merely four snapshots during the course of the year.  If these one-day campaigns are indicative of motorists’ attitudes towards our country’s traffic laws, then we have a major problem.”