YOU are twice as likely to be killed in a car crash if you are not wearing a seatbelt.

That was the stark warning delivered by police and council officers at the launch of the Seatbelt On? campaign in Stroud on Monday, September 9.

Run by Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership in association with police and the county’s fire and rescue service, the autumn campaign is designed to encourage more drivers and passengers to buckle up.

The campaign will highlight the fact that last year 543 drivers and passengers in Gloucestershire were reported for not belting up.

That is despite an estimated 300 lives being lost countywide each year – lives that could have been saved if a seatbelt had been worn.

To drive home their message, the road safety partnership is carrying out a week of roadside enforcement at county hot spots and members of the public are being given the chance to try out a seatbelt sled, which simulates the impact of a minor collision.

"Seat belts don’t stop road collisions but they can certainly prevent injury or reduce the severity of any injuries to the wearer," said Garry Handley, head of the partnership.

"They have been a legal requirement for 30 years and they have saved someone’s life every single day of every single month of every single year for the last 30 years."