Motorists could soon be slapped with three penalty points on their driving licence for breaking a crucial new motoring rule which may be implemented by Andy Burnham. Labour’s Road Safety Strategy stressed that officials would consult on changing the UK’s seat belt laws, with road users slapped with points for not wearing the crucial safety device.

Under current rules, road users are only slapped with financial penalties for not wearing a seat belt, with the changes set to introduce tougher measures. A consultation on the issue was formally opened earlier this year when Sir Keir Starmer was Prime Minister, with Mr Burnham now inheriting the issue since taking office.

The Department for Transport (DfT) previously said: “The sanction for failing to do so is a fixed penalty notice of £100 or, if the case goes to court, a maximum fine of £500. Failure to wear a seat belt is not currently an endorsable offence; that means the offender does not incur penalty points.

“This section asks the public’s view on whether drivers and passengers failing to wear a seat belt, and drivers who fail to ensure children travelling in the vehicle are suitably restrained, should receive 3 penalty points on their driving licence. Collisions in which drivers or passengers are not wearing seat belts can change and end lives. There is no doubt that seat belts save lives. They can also lessen the severity of injuries when collisions happen.”

The DfT added: “We propose that 3 penalty points should apply to all drivers who fail to wear a seat belt or who fail to ensure that any child in the vehicle wears an appropriate child restraint.”

The consultation period into the new motoring rules was opened on January 7, 2026, with the survey previously running until May 11. The Department for Transport confirmed that a summary of responses, including any information on any next steps that could be implemented, would be published months after the consultation closed.

Penalty points on a driving licence can have a significant impact on car insurance premiums, while motorists are usually banned from the road if they incur 12 points in three years.

A previous analysis 24 studies in Norway found that seat belts reduce fatal and non-fatal injuries by 60% among front seat passengers.

Meanwhile, the data shows that the simple safety tool can reduce injuries and death by as much as 44% for those sitting in the rear passenger seats.