Child Not Properly Restrained in a Vehicle Offences

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/26/010067/M

Version Date: 15/07/2026

The Road Safety Department has provided the following information:

1. Please provide the total number of recorded driving offences involving a child passenger not being properly restrained in a vehicle (including no seatbelt or no car seat) in the calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

2. Please provide the total number of fines, fixed penalty notices, warnings and prosecutions issued for these offences in the calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Please note: these figures are for Fixed Penalty Notices only. Fine and Prosecution data is held by the courts. Warnings are not recorded. If a Police stop a vehicle and warn the deriver in respect to an unrestrained child there is no formal process to record the warning.

3. Please provide a breakdown of these offences by the age of the child involved, if available, in the calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Information not held, the age of the child is not recorded.

Further to my recent Freedom of Information request to your force dated 04.06.26 regarding child car seat and seatbelt enforcement, we would also like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

1. Please provide the total monetary value (£) of all fines and fixed penalty notices issued for offences involving a child passenger not being properly restrained in a vehicle (including no seatbelt or no appropriate child car seat) in each of the calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Devon & Cornwall Police do not hold this information. It will be held by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.