Drivers who do not wear their seatbelts are facing an 'on the spot' fine this week.

Decades after belts became compulsory police are clamping down on drivers who still do not 'clunk click every trip'.

A 'joint roads policing unit' has been stopping vehicles where drivers and passengers are not wearing belts across the Thames Valley area - imposing a £100 spot fine, which can rise to £500 if a prosecution follows.

Failure to wear a seatbelt has been identified as one of the four key causes of death in road traffic collisions.

Sergeant Rob Heard from the Joint Roads Policing Unit for Hampshire and Thames Valley Police, said: "The vast majority of people are wearing their seatbelts, unfortunately we are still finding people who decide to take the risk and travel in a vehicle without wearing a seatbelt.

"You are twice as likely to die in a collision if you are not wearing a seatbelt and in the event of an accident if unrestrained you will hit the windscreen, or the front seat in the case of a rear seat passenger at a force of 30 to 60 times your own body weight.

"People sometimes feel I am only driving locally and at a low speed so I will be ok.

"However research has shown that many collisions occur at low speed and within in few miles of home. I would always recommend to people to wear a seat belt every time you travel in a vehicle, it's just not worth the risk."