Skip to main content

Pan-European seatbelt enforcement yields results

Europe’s cross-border police body TISPOL reports positive results from the recent pan-European seatbelt enforcement drive. The data shows that over 100,000 drivers and passengers were detected for not wearing seatbelts. A total of 24 countries took part in the operation, which was co-ordinated by TISPOL. Of the final total of 104,838 offences, 3,245 related to children not wearing seatbelts or other safety restraints. The remaining 101,593 offences related to adult vehicle occupants. Commenting on the resul
May 7, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Europe’s cross-border police body 4753 TISPOL reports positive results from the recent pan-European seatbelt enforcement drive. The data shows that over 100,000 drivers and passengers were detected for not wearing seatbelts. A total of 24 countries took part in the operation, which was co-ordinated by TISPOL. Of the final total of 104,838 offences, 3,245 related to children not wearing seatbelts or other safety restraints. The remaining 101,593 offences related to adult vehicle occupants. Commenting on the results, TISPOL president Koen Ricour said, "The use of seatbelts is the single most effective method of reducing fatalities and serious injuries in motor vehicle collisions. That’s why our message is clear. Wearing a seatbelt is not a matter of choice. It is required by law in every European country because it could quite literally save your life in the event of an accident. Don’t take any chances. Use a seatbelt on every journey.”

Stopping drivers for seatbelt offences also provided police officers with the opportunity to make other appropriate safety and security checks. For example, during the week of this seatbelt operation, officers also detected and dealt with 53 offences connected with irregular immigration and human trafficking, 241 offences connected with the possession of drugs, 34 firearms offences, 46 offences relating to stolen goods and a total of 4,020 other crimes.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TISPOL European police road safety conference highlights on video
    October 7, 2014
    The Pan-European police body 4753 TISPOL held a conference on road safety in the UK last week. This video shows some of the highlights. The line-up of speakers delivered presentations on topics ranging from rapid extrication of road collision casualties through to eyesight tests for seniors, and from smart tachographs to driver distractions.
  • Cracking down on drug driving
    April 16, 2012
    New laws being established in the UK will crack down on those driving under the influence of illegal drugs. A panel of experts has been appointed by the UK Government to investigate the various issues involved. Existing laws in the UK have been described as inadequate to address the issue, prompting this move. There is a large body of research showing that illegal drug use presents a serious problem to road safety in the UK and other nations. Studies show links between drug use, criminal activity, varying v
  • Concern at worsening road safety worldwide
    May 22, 2019
    The latest road safety data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) provides a serious cause for concern. The annual global road fatality rate has increased in the three years since the WHO last carried out a study of worldwide crash statistics. The report says that 1.35 million people are now killed on the world’s roads every year, compared with a figure of 1.25 million three years ago. The problem is particularly acute in the developing world, where increasing vehicle numbers combine with poor levels
  • UK police carry out spot checks on suspect vehicles
    December 18, 2014
    UK officers from Dyfed-Powys Police in Wales recently carried out vehicle checks on a Saturday evening shift. The focus for these checks were on enforcement of drink drive legislation and the officers stopped a number of other vehicles during the evening.

    By midnight the officers had conducted more than 85 breath tests. There was only one positive test, provided by a male driver who blew a reading of 85 (the alcohol/breath limit in England and Wales is 35).