The beermats hark back to previous "shock" campaigns

Beermats are the latest weapon being used by road safety campaigners in their drive to make people wear seatbelts.

According to road safety campaigners in Cumbria an alarming number of people in the county still do not wear seatbelts.

Now pictures of injuries suffered by people not wearing seatbelts are to appear on beermats.

David Kerry, Cumbria's road safety officer, said not wearing a belt could lead to terrible accidents.

He said: "The idea of the beermats is obviously to shock, on one side there is a nice smiling face, flip it over and you have the results of what would happen if you went through a car windscreen."

Mr Kerry said: "It amazes me that people are still not wearing their seatbelts.

Horrific accidents

"I don't understand why any one would want to travel in a car, knowing what the consequences are, without wearing a seatbelt. It is illegal and it is stupid not to wear seatbelts.

"We keep talking about this - I talk to young children about the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt.

"Some injuries are horrific. We have had children refusing to wear seatbelts, standing between the front two seats and being thrown forward in an accident.

"They have gone through the front window and their mother or father has then driven over them - these are accidents that really have happened."

He said part of the reason why younger drivers were not wearing seatbelts was down to "bravado".