A police force is renewing an appeal for motorists to wear seatbelts. In 2003, three people died and 161 drivers and passengers were injured in Derbyshire because they were not wearing seatbelts.
They are launching a campaign to ensure more people buckle up when they are behind the wheel.
Drivers who are caught travelling without seat belts will be issued with fixed penalty notices and the face fines of �30.
Chief Superintendent Tony Bateman, head of the force's operations division, said: "Failure to wear seatbelts is a national cause for concern and in Derbyshire the statistics are quite alarming.
"Last year 16% of people who were killed or seriously injured in road collisions were not wearing seatbelts. This is an increase of 10% on the figures for 1994."
Officers suspect that the real number may be much higher as few occupants admit that they were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
Copies of a leaflet offering advice about seatbelts and child car seats have been distributed to petrol filling stations, libraries, health clinics and police stations.
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