Seatbelt campaign targets delivery drivers
Date: 30 August 2007
Van and lorry drivers are to be targeted in Scotland, after figures revealed a third of those killed in car crashes were not wearing seatbelts.
According to the new statistics, two-thirds of these deaths in the Lothians and Borders region are preventable. Those in the logistics industry will be targeted as this is thought to be a particular problem area.
Superintendent Alan Duncan, from the Road Policing Unit at Lothian and Borders Police, said: "Any vehicle accident that results in loss of life is a tragedy, but it is even more tragic when death could have been avoided if those involved had been wearing a seatbelt.
"The human cost of such a tragedy is simply too great for people to ignore the message that seatbelts save lives, and this campaign will drive that home."
Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, Inspector David Milne claimed that lorry and van drivers can be prone to complacency.
"We will be targeting passengers in taxis, van drivers and delivery drivers. These are the worst offenders. The main reasons are laziness, and people think an accident will never happen to them," he said.
"I think van drivers think because they're getting in and out of the vehicle they don't need to wear one, but the legislation is only if there's 50 metres or less between deliveries," he added.
Drivers and passengers can currently face a £500 fine for not wearing a seatbelt but they are often offered a £30 fixed penalty.
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