A new week-long crackdown will see police officers target drivers not wearing seatbelts.

Officers from Hampshire police are taking part in a national week of action around seatbelt enforcement, and will talk to those “who refuse to wear a seatbelt despite the clear dangers”.

Since 2010, 26 people have been killed in the county because they were not wearing a seatbelt when they were involved in a collision.

Hampshire police has said: “The facts are indisputable - you are twice as likely to die in a collision if you are not wearing a seatbelt.

“The force you will hit the windscreen, or the front seat if you are travelling in the back of a car, is 30 to 60 times your own body weight.”

Sgt Rob Heard, Road Safety Sergeant for Hampshire and Thames Valley, added: “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.

“Unfortunately some people are becoming complacent and feel a collision will never happen to them.

“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.

“It's not worth the risk and not wearing your seatbelt means you are breaking the law.”

As well as operations, officers will also be checking child seats to make sure they are fitted correctly, with two in every three are not fitted properly across the UK.

Sgt Heard added: “This may be contributing to the continuing rise in child road death and injury. If in doubt get your child seats checked by an approved fitter.”

Last year in Hampshire 1,129 seatbelt offences were recorded and 650 of those stopped were ordered to carrying out an online diversion course, Your Belt, Your Life.

Motorists can head to Asda, in Basingstoke, on March 12, between 10am and 3pm, where officers will be joined by colleagues from Hampshire County Council offering free checks and advice on child seats.