AN alarming rise in people not wearing seatbelts has drawn concern from police and motoring groups.
RACV is urging all Victorians to wear their seatbelts every time they are in a vehicle, following new figures that showed more than 8500 drivers were caught not wearing a seatbelt in the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, totalling over $3.3 million in fines.
Victorian Police data suggests that the state could be on track to record more seatbelt offenses than the 34,744 record in the last financial year.
Over the last five years, 130 lives have been lost in Victoria where the occupant was not wearing a seatbelt.
RACV head of policy James Williams said the figures were a stark reminder of the risks associated with ignoring seatbelt rules.
“Failing to wear a seatbelt is a simple, but deadly mistake,” Mr Williams said.
“Seatbelts save lives and choosing not to wear one puts you, your passengers, and other road users at risk.”
In Victoria, the fine for not wearing a seatbelt correctly is $395 and three demerit points.
“Crashes can happen anytime, anywhere – and the consequences of not being restrained can be fatal," Mr Williams said.
“Wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest actions we can take to reduce road trauma. It takes just seconds to click in – and it could save your life.”
