Police back national seatbelt campaign

Police across Durham and Cleveland support a national seatbelt campaign.

From Monday 11 September, officers will stop vehicles where drivers or passengers are not wearing their seat-belts as part of the work carried out by the European traffic police network.

The law states that drivers are responsible for ensuring that suitable safety restraints are worn by all passengers under 14 years old.

Children must use an appropriate child car restraint for their weight until they are 135cm tall or their 12th birthday, whichever is first.

As seat-belts do not fit children correctly, an appropriate child car restraint is needed to offer the same level of protection as a seatbelt does for adults.

Passengers over 14 years are responsible for wearing their own seatbelt and can therefore face prosecution.

A recent change to the current laws around child car restraints now means that booster seats will only be approved for older children.

The new rules only apply to new models, meaning parents can legally continue to use backless booster seats they already own.

Under the new rules, backless booster seats or booster cushions will only be approved for use by children taller than 125cm and weighing more than 22kg.

Currently children as young as three, or 15kg, are able to use a booster seat.

Inspector Mark Pitt from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said:

Ron Hogg, Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington said:

Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Barry Coppinger, said: