The campaign in March was co-ordinated by TISPOL, the pan-European traffic police organisation. Officers in 26 countries across Europe stopped drivers of all ages who were flouting seatbelt laws.

Of the 115,038 penalties, 3642 related to children not wearing seatbelts or other appropriate safety restraints.

TISPOL president Roar Skjelbred Larsen said: 'Seatbelts save lives. Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective way of saving lives and reducing injuries in road crashes. That's why wearing a seatbelt is not a matter of choice and we will continue to use vigorous enforcement strategies which back up the continuing education campaigns.'