Gardaí clamping down on seatbelt offences

Drivers are facing an even tougher clampdown on road safety this Bank Holiday weekend.

According to reports, seven new motoring-related offences are set to be rolled out in the coming days with a focus on seat belts.

Gardaí catch around 1,300 motorists every month for not wearing their seatbelts.

Therefore, the focus of these seven new driving offences is on seatbelts, particularly when it comes to children and babies.

Drivers will be penalised for putting their child in the front of a car in a rear facing seat, and also if they don't have their child in "an appropriate child restraint" such as a child or booster seat.

Drivers also face penalty points and a fine if they fail to get a teenage passenger to belt up properly.

In addition, there are new offences for bus and truck drivers too for failing to wear a seatbelt and for having an overweight truck.