POLICE have launched a safety campaign after discovering that 80 per cent of children's car seats and other restraints were incorrectly fitted.

The statistic emerged at clinics held by police and car seat manufacturer Britax in supermarket car parks throughout County Durham last year.

Motorists were invited to have their child seats checked, and experts found that the vast majority were inadequate, and some dangerous.

Officers are also concerned that although a law requiring rear passengers to wear seatbelts was passed in 1991, many are still ignoring it, putting lives at risk.

In an effort to promote passenger safety, police began a two-week campaign focusing on the importance of effective child seats and seatbelt legislation yesterday.

PC Dave Nixon, Durham Constabulary's casualty reduction officer, said: "The checks by experts from Britax highlighted very serious safety concerns.

"Clearly, many parents are blithely unaware of just how ineffective safety equipment might be when they have to stop suddenly or their vehicles are involved in a collision.

"A lot of it is that people do not give a thought to the consequences of their actions."

PC Nixon said that passengers' body weight increased by 30 to 60 per cent when they were propelled forward in a crash, posing a serious risk of injury. He said that during the campaign, officers would be looking out for those who appeared insecure.

"We will be looking at everything involving seatbelt legislation and restraints," he said.

"We would like to educate, but if we feel a situation is dangerous, we will look at other measures such as on-the-spot fines and taking people to court for carrying passengers in a dangerous manner."

The campaign forms part of a Government drive to dramatically reduce road casualties by 2010.

In addition to resulting in the loss of life, those in County Durham cost taxpayers almost £97m in 2000.

This month, European Union MPs passed new laws making it compulsory for children under three to be secured in child seats when travelling in cars, and older children to have booster cushions. The laws will take effect within three years.