NOW then, now then, how’s about that - Sir Jimmy Savile has given his backing to our Love Your Kids? Belt Them In! campaign.

Thirty seven years since his ‘Clunk Click Every Trip’ public information film first aired, the legendary TV personality has spoken of his support for the Lancashire Telegraph’s seatbelt awareness drive.

The Jim’ll Fix It host said he supported the campaign after he discovered shocking survey results which revealed that more than half of children questioned in the area were not strapped in by their parents.

The former DJ said: “Seatbelts are a good idea, full stop. A bad idea is no seatbelts.

“If you have to stop quickly in a car and you go through the windscreen that takes three seconds but it will take a hospital three years to put your face back on.

“Seatbelts are a good idea for all, but the choice is yours.”

In the 1970s, Sir Jimmy, now 82, starred in a government information campaign about the importance of wearing seatbelts.

It used shock tactics to show the public the potential danger they are in every day.

The ‘Clunk Click, Every Trip’ slogan became very well-known, and featured in further schemes to persuade people to wear a seatbelt.

It was 10 years after his first appearance however, that the law was changed to make the wearing of belts in the front seat compulsory. The slogan was used until 1993.

Sir Jimmy first decided to get involved in road safety campaigning after working as a volunteer porter in the Road Traffic Accident ward in the Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

He said: “There were 36 beds on the ward full of accident victims, which was just awful to see.

“One year after the campaign started we had 35 empty beds and one patient so it was definitely worth getting involved.”

As part of the Lancashire Telegraph’s campaign, which was launched in conjunction with the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety and Blackburn with Darwen Casualty Reduction Team, educational roadshows will take place in schools and community centres to get the belt-up message across.

The Telegraph will also accompany police as officers carry out special crackdowns, doing spot checks on passing vehicles.