Recent Events

Recent Events across Torfaen

30 People Given ‘Options’ During Torfaen seatbelt campaign

A seatbelt ‘Options’ campaign offered people in Torfaen the chance to avoid a £60 fine by watching a hard-hitting presentation.

For the first time in Torfaen, Gwent Police worked alongside South Wales Fire & Rescue Service and Capita Symonds to encourage people to wear their seatbelts during the initiative.

Special Constables and Gwent Police Cadets stood on the roadside looking out motorists and their passengers not wearing seatbelts. Those who were found to be breaking the law were pulled over and given the ‘option’ of attending New Inn Fire Station to view a 20-minute seatbelt safety presentation instead of receiving a fixed penalty fine of £60.

The ‘Options’ campaign, organised by Gwent Police Special Inspector Dave Llewellyn, took place across Torfaen and saw a total of 30 people choosing to view the safety presentation. Only one driver elected to take a Fixed Penalty fine.

The seatbelt safety presentation included graphic DVD footage of what happens to an unbelted person following a collision and clearly made an impact on those who chose to watch it.

One woman from Pontypool, who watched the presentation but wished to remain anonymous, said: “The presentation I saw really does make you think.
“Some of the video clips showing the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt are not very nice to watch, but they certainly get the message across.
“I was annoyed that I was stopped for not wearing my seatbelt but in hindsight I’m glad I saw the presentation – I will definitely be belting up from now on.”

Torfaen Partnerships Sergeant Lyndon John, said: “The ‘Options’ campaign emphasises the need for education as well as enforcement in this area.
“Considering the short timescale of the operation, the high number of attendees shows that some motorists are still choosing not to wear seatbelts despite the well-publicised dangers.
“Hopefully those who watched the presentation today will reflect upon what they saw and make sure they wear seatbelts in future – and pass the message on to their friends and family.”

Ashley Collins, Watch Manager in the Fire Service Road Safety Team, said: “This is the first time the All-Wales ‘Options’ campaign has been run in Torfaen and we have received excellent feedback from members of the public who have been stopped and asked to watch the presentation.
“I hope they will now have a better understanding of the dangers of not belting up.”

Helen Davidson, Capita Symonds Road Safety Manager in Torfaen, said: “Some people were a bit upset about being stopped, but negative attitudes were changed to positive after they watched the presentation. Through education, this campaign acts as the first step in saving lives.”