'Children are being killed by lack of in-car restraints'

Using a dummy and an old car, firefighters from Richmond yesterday simulated the possible outcome of a crash if seatbelts or child car seats were not used.

The exercise was part of a new push by North Yorkshire County Council's road safety team to promote in-car safety.

Road safety project officer Sheelagh Phillips said: "Children not being restrained correctly is a huge problem in the county.

"Children are being killed and injured in road traffic collisions as a result and this has got to stop."

County council surveys show up to 70 per cent of children are not restrained properly.

Problems include incorrectly fitted and unsuitable child car seats, said road safety officer David Lindsay, who added: "Seatbelts are designed for adults over 5ft, and children who are under that height and use them are at serious risk of injury.

"There's a suspicion people are relying on airbags, but airbags only work if passengers are wearing a seatbelt."

Another area of concern is teenagers failing to wear a seatbelt when being driven by friends. Road safety experts suggest this is because they feel it insults the skills of the driver to wear a belt.

As part of the campaign, road safety officers are speaking to new parents at health clinics and doctors' surgeries, urging them to use a car seat and have it fitted by experts.

Officers are also visiting schools in the county to measure seatbelt use by children being picked up or dropped off by their parents.

After two inspections, police issue tickets to parents who have not got the message.

Speaking at the simulation yesterday, Sub-officer Steve Harris, from Richmond Fire Station, urged everyone travelling in a vehicle to wear a seatbelt.

"When we attend a road accident, we find if someone has been wearing a seatbelt there's a good chance they've survived," he said.

"If they weren't wearing a seatbelt, there's a good chance we will be recovering a body."