The government is urging motorists to ensure they and their passengers wear their seat belts on all journeys.

Road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick made his appeal ahead of a consultation into whether the fixed penalty for not wearing a seat belt ought to be raised from £30 to £60 – a move which could impact upon car insurance customers.

Wearing a seat belt can save motorists' lives and approximately 350 deaths may have been prevented in 2006 if seat belts had been worn, the minister explained.

Mr Fitzpatrick commented: "We are determined all drivers and passengers realise the importance of wearing a seat belt, both in the front and back of a vehicle."

The proposals for increasing the penalty for not wearing a seat belt will "encourage more people to belt up", he added.

Car insurance customers may be interested to learn that Cleveland police recently embarked upon a campaign to tackle the problem of people failing to wear seat belts.

The force said it would be handing out fixed penalty notices to those found to be breaking the law.

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