NEW sea belt regulations for school minibuses do not go far enough, says Pendle MP Gordon Prentice

The new regulations agreed this week mean school vehicles carrying three or more children must fit safety belts on forward-facing seats.

The Labour backbencher said: "Unfortunately they do not go far enough. Seatbelts are not obligatory for backward-facing seats and there is nothing to ensure seatbelts are actually worn by the children.

"There should have been a clear duty placed on the school to ensure, so far as it possibly can, that all children are belted up.

"The regulations should have specified diagonal or three-point seatbelts wherever they can be used, as they are safer than lap belts which can cause abdominal injuries."

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