'BE Safe and Buckle Up' is the motto for this year's campaign warning motorists and passengers their lives by not wearing a seatbelt.

The annual All Wales Seatbelt Campaign launches today with the emergency services joining forces with local authorities and partner agencies to get the message across.

During last year's campaign, 427 people in Gwent were dealt with by police for not wearing a seatbelt.

This year's month-long campaign starts will a two-week education and awareness phase, followed by two weeks of enforcement action.

Officers will be out and about stopping and fining drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts.

Those found not wearing seatbelts could receive a £60 fixed penalty notice or a court summons where they could face fines of up to £500.

As an alternative to prosecution, motorists and passengers will be given the opportunity to attend a showing of a film on the dangers of not wearing seatbelts.

Chief Inspector John Pavett, of Gwent's road policing unit, said: "Quite simply, seatbelts can mean the difference between life and death and yet every year in Wales people die needlessly because they are not wearing them.

"We run this campaign annually to highlight the dangers drivers and passengers face by choosing not to wear a seatbelt, and yet a minority still neglect this responsibility.

“Wearing a seatbelt is a simple and quick action that, in no uncertain terms, can significantly increase chances of survival in the event of a serious collision."

Road Safety Wales chairwoman, Susan Storch, said: "The key message we are trying to get across is that wearing a seatbelt really could mean the difference between life and death and that applies just as much to passengers as it does to drives. The majority of people are aware of the risk of not wearing a seatbelt, but there are still some who choose to ignore the dangers."

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Belt up - it's simple

POLICE today reveal that 427 people were caught in Gwent in the last year for not wearing a seatbelt.

While that is a tiny fraction of the number of using the roads in cars it still baffles us as to why anyone would want to put their lives at risk by such a simple procedure. Police will be on the look-out for more in the coming weeks.

Officers will stop and fine drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts.

Those found not wearing seatbelts could receive a £60 fixed penalty notice or a court summons where they could face fines of up to £500.

Seatbelts can be the difference between life and death.

And those not wearing them in the rear of a vehicle are not only risking their lives but the lives of the people in front of them.

Have the graphic adverts showing the risks of not wearing them just not sunk in with this minority of people who flout the law?

We hope more people are caught during this blitz.

Hopefully once caught they’ll think twice about doing it again.

For such a simple, quick action of putting it on it seems bizarre that hundreds still don’t see the benefit of wearing a seatbelt.

Thankfully they are in the minority and most of us take being on the road with the full weight of responsibility it deserves.