Seatbelt law celebrates 30th birthday

30 years ago today, a law came into practice that made it illegal for anyone to drive a car without buckling up.

Well over 60,000 lives have been saved by seatbelts since January 31, 1983, when the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents'(RoSPA) then-President, Lord Nugent of Guildford, won the day for compulsory wearing in the front seat of cars by introducing an amendment to the Transport Bill in the House of Lords. A law making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in the back of cars was introduced in 1991.