Hampshire Constabulary and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will be at Hedge End Retail Park tomorrow, Friday 19 February, to give advice on seatbelt and car safety.

Police and fire officers will advise on the proper fitting of child seats and the importance of always using a seatbelt in a moving car.

There will be a crashed car on site – located near the cash-point machines – to enforce their message and inside the main entrance to Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer visitors will also be able to see a video demonstrating the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt.

The Safety Day is part of a week-long education and enforcement programme organised for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

In Eastleigh today, Thursday 18 February, a check on drivers resulted in 54 vehicles being stopped – in 43 of the cases because either the driver or passengers failed to wear a seatbelt. Nine people were stopped for using mobile phones while driving and two cars were seized because they’d been without car tax for more than three months.

Sergeant Phil Lamb from the Roads Policing Unit:"I was glad to see that the majority of people who passed me were wearing their seatbelts, but I was concerned that 43 people made the decision not to buckle up.

"This is a huge number of people who decided to drive through Eastleigh without taking their own safety into consideration. Seatbelts are a proven life saver and not new to the UK public."

All 43 of the people stopped for seatbelt offences were offered the chance to attend a road safety education presentation at Eastleigh fire station rather than face prosecution.

"I am glad to say that 36 people chose to come along and take part in the presentation. I hope they learned the importance of wearing a seatbelt," Sgt Lamb said.

Hampshire Constabulary and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will be at Hedge End Retail Park between 8.30am and 4.30pm for the car Safety Day tomorrow, Friday 19 February.