National seatbelt campaign launched in capital

The aim of the campaign is to change the behaviour of drivers and passengers

Edinburgh festival performers helped to mark the launch of a road safety campaign to encourage Scots to wear their seatbelts on every journey.

The campaign called "Have You Clicked?" is a collaboration between the Scottish government and Road Safety Scotland.

The aim is to change the behaviour of drivers and passengers.

Police in Scotland catch an average of 27,000 people a year not wearing a belt, and about 14% of people do not wear them all the time.

Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland, said: "We know that many people are still shunning seatbelts by not wearing them every time, and police are catching thousands of people a year.

"The new campaign is aimed at encouraging drivers and passengers to think of putting on a seatbelt as something they do, almost without thinking about it, every single time."

The campaign is being rolled out with a new advert on TV, as well as national and regional radio and in cinemas across Scotland from the 30 August.

PC Jack McBirnie, a collision investigator with Lothian and Borders Police, said: "Putting on a seatbelt is a straightforward task but too many people are still risking their own and others' lives by not wearing one.

"Even at just 30mph, a crash could propel you forward with huge force. Seatbelts only work if you wear them every time."