The wearing of seatbelts in all vehicles moved a step closer to becoming law in Bermuda yesterday, when members of the House of Assembly unanimously supported the proposal.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown told the House he hoped seatbelts would become compulsory at the start of next year, but a year's grace will be given for people to get used to the idea without facing fines.

Dr. Brown said every year there were about 60 severe head injuries suffered in traffic accidents - and about 20 percent of those were the result of collisions involving cars.

He said although the injuries usually healed, there were costs to the Island, such as health care, insurance, lost business, and huge emotional costs.

He said if only people would wear seatbelts, many injuries would be prevented.

Introducing the Motor Car Amendment Act 2001, he said: "What is difficult to comprehend, is that many of these injuries and costs are preventable - if only we would wear a seatbelt.

"Why don't we wear a seatbelt? Some would say that the reason is that we don't have to, the law does not require it, so we don't do it.

"Some would say that the speeds at which we travel in Bermuda are too low to require the use of seatbelts. But, even at our low speeds, we still have people injured when their cars are involved in traffic accidents.

"The compulsory use of seatbelts is a cost effective, tried and true method of reducing injuries and deaths resulting from traffic accidents. The use of seatbelts in Bermuda should be compulsory, and soon their use will be compulsory."

In the proposed legislation, he said everybody over the age of 14 travelling in the front of a vehicle, alongside the driver, would be mandated to wear a seatbelt.

However, there will be exceptions. Those people with old cars that are not fitted with seatbelts will be exempted, as will children under the age of 14. Further research is to be carried out by obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr. Wendy Woods to see if any further exemptions need to be allowed.

Dr. Brown told the House that children under the age of 14 will still be expected to travel in the rear of vehicles, rather that in the front, with or without a seatbelt.

He said no car will be allowed to be imported into Bermuda unless it had seatbelts fitted.

Shadow Transport Minister Gary Pitman described the Bill as "feel-good type legislation."

He added: "It's a positive thing to prevent injury. There are those who feel it is a waste of time... bureaucracy at its best and cumbersome."

He said the Bill said nothing about the use of air bags, and that the legislation was not "user friendly".

However, he added: "If it prevents just one death, then it's worth the paper it's written on."

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said she was concerned that people would drive even faster if they felt they had the security of a seatbelt.

This was dismissed by Dr. Brown, who said research had shown that the wearing of seatbelts made people drive more defensively.

Opposition Telecommunications spokesman Allan Marshall, said while he supported improvements to road and driver safety, he believed that seatbelts would be seen as a nuisance by many people, particularly delivery drivers.

In yesterday's Parliamentary session, Members also agreed to the installation of speed cameras around the Island in a bid to reduce speeding and the likelihood of accidents.

Dr. Brown said by the end of October this year, Bermuda had seen more than 2,400 accidents on its roads with nearly 1,100 being injured. Almost 160 people were seriously injured, and eight killed.

Dr. Brown said he was sure that speed had been a factor in many of the accidents.

Dr. Brown said the Bermuda Police Service had done its homework, and research indicated that in countries where speed cameras were in use, there had been favourable changes in drivers' behaviour.

The Transport Minister added: "For example, the Thames Valley Police in the UK have attributed a 30 percent reduction in average speed, and a 23 percent reduction in serious accidents, to the use of speed detection cameras."

Transportable speed cameras will be positioned around the Island and set at certain speeds, depending on the limit of the area.

Cars found to be travelling in excess of the pre-set speed threshold will have photographs of their rear number plate taken, and then, provided the speed was not in excess of 62 kph, owners will be sent a fixed penalty notice. The penalty must then be paid within 21 days.

However, if the owner of the vehicle was travelling faster than 62 kph, or they have more than two prior speeding convictions in two years, or they fail to pay the fine in the time required, they will have to appear in court.

As the law allows, the owner will be presumed to have been responsible for the vehicle, and if the owner contends that, they will have to appear in court to plead their case.

Both pieces of legislation must now go before the Senate for final approval.