Nearly a quarter of motorists think current seatbelt laws need beefing up, according to a new study released on the 40th anniversary of the law.

24% of them believe the current system – where a driver can be fined up to £500 for not buckling up – is too lenient

Legislation requiring all drivers to wear their seatbelts came into force on 31 January 1983 but an RAC poll of 1,800 drivers found 24% of them believe the current system – where a driver can be fined up to £500 for not buckling up – is too lenient.

Of those, a clear majority of these (69%) think drivers who break the law should pay both a fine and receive at least three points on their licences.

That’s something already under consideration by the Government as Department for Transport data reveals 30% of people who died in cars in 2021 were not wearing a seat belt. Statistics also show passengers are twice as likely to die in a crash if they are unbelted.

More than two-thirds of motorists (68%) believe drivers should be responsible for ensuring all their passengers wear seatbelts – currently, drivers only have responsibility for themselves and any children under 14. A third of respondents (33%) also believe that drivers should be penalised if passengers don’t belt up.

The RAC data also reveals a worrying degree of non-compliance with seatbelt laws. A total 4% of drivers – the equivalent of around 1.7m full driving licence holders in Great Britain – fessed up to driving without a seatbelt over the last 12 months, with around a fifth (22%) of these saying they don’t belt up at least half the time. And a total 7% of respondents admitted to not wearing a seatbelt when travelling as passengers in other vehicles.

Earlier this month, prime minister Rishi Sunak was fined for not wearing a seatbelt in a moving car while filming a social media video.

When it comes to beefing up compliance with the existing law, around half (48%) of those surveyed would like to see seatbelt evaders sent on dedicated ‘seatbelt awareness courses’ – similar to those for speeding – while more than a third (36%) favour either more police on the roads or the use of camera-based technology to catch people breaking the law in this way.

Trials of such cameras have already had high detection rates. A ‘sensor test vehicle’ tested out by National Highways and Warwickshire Police detected motorists holding mobile phones or driving without seatbelts every six minutes.

But while drivers favour tougher penalties, the RAC warned this must go hand-in-hand with greater enforcement.

Road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “Our research shows drivers are clearly supportive of greater penalties, which we know the Government is considering. But arguably, toughening the law isn’t enough: drivers need to think there’s a good chance of being caught in the first place. If they don’t, there’s every chance they’ll carry on as normal – just as we see day-in, day-out with plenty of drivers still prepared to illegally use a handheld phone while behind the wheel.

“A national advertising campaign around the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt could also bring about a positive change in behaviour, and it’s something a quarter of drivers we surveyed said would improve compliance with the law.”

In separate news, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has urged the Government to save seatbelt laws from being lost or watered down as part of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022.

It warns that the Bill – due for a second reading in the House of Lords on 6 February – will see thousands of laws sunset by the end of this year, including lifesaving seatbelt legislation. Although seatbelt usage features in the Road Safety Act, the Bill is set to make critical information on who, where and when people should wear seatbelts unclear.

Nathan Davies, head of policy at RoSPA, said: “Recent Department for Transport data shows us that compliance is the lowest it has ever been since the law was introduced, and that means that people still need laws which reinforce the importance for them and the other occupants of vehicles. By removing seatbelt laws, we expect usage to fall, and fatalities will then inevitably increase.

“Throwing vital seatbelt laws in the air at a time they are most needed will set the stage for thousands of the public being killed and injured on the road, leaving behind loved ones, friends and family. We must not throw away the progress made over last 40 years of mandatory seatbelt usage and urge the Government to tackle these vital laws with the time, respect and attention they deserve.”