In a Parliamentary debate secured on this issue, Alan Milburn today called for action to close the current legal loophole and ensure that all heavy goods vehicles are fitted with seatbelts.

To read the full speech, click here or to read the Hansard transcript of the full debate, including the reply from the Minister responsible, Sadiq Khan MP, click here.

Alan Milburn MP has secured a debate in Parliament on Tuesday 8 December about the lack of seatbelts fitted in lorries.

Mr Milburn said he is doing so to urge road hauliers to do more to fit seatbelts. His constituent Peter Williams, aged 23, was tragically killed when the 1995 Calor Gas lorry he was driving crashed in Wolsingham. The lorry was not fitted with seatbelts. Since then Mr Milburn has been working closely with the Williams family who have collected a 1,275-strong petition urging lorry-owners to fit seatbelts.

All HGVs first used after 1 October 2001 legally have to be fitted with seatbelts. However, the Department for Transport estimate that over 250,000 vehicles registered before then could still be in use. Answers to questions Alan Milburn tabled in Parliament show that over 150,000 of the HGVs registered before 2001 have the necessary anchorage points fitted so there is no practical reason why seatbelts could not be fitted. Following discussions with the then Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick, the Freight Transport Association has begun to urge drivers to wear seatbelts. But Mr Milburn wants it and the Road Haulage Association to go further.

Alan Milburn said "It's welcome that road hauliers are saying drivers should wear seatbelts. Sadly that was not an option for Peter. His lorry, like thousands of others, did not have a seatbelt fitted. There are more accidents waiting to happen. With so many lorries on the road having anchorage points in place there is no excuse for hauliers not to fit them with seatbelts. I want to have a debate in the House of Commons to back the Williams family's campaign efforts to save lives."

I've just received a response from the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive, Geoffrey Podger, offering practical support for our campaign. 

It's really good news that the HSE have agreed to help spread the word to haulage firms that seatbelts should be fitted in lorries. 

I hope we receive equally positive support from the Dept of Transport following our meeting with the Road Safety Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick.

The Road Haulage Association is backing the campaign to have seatbelts fitted to lorries. In a letter to me, the organisation has offered to encourage its member companies to fit seatbelts.

In an encouraging meeting with the Minister for Road Safety, Jim Fitzpatrick the Williams’ and I were informed us that over 150,000 of the HGVs registered before 2001 have the necessary anchorage points fitted. There is, therefore, no practical reason why seatbelts could not be fitted. It is simply a matter of cost.

The Department of Transport estimated the cost of investing in seatbelts to be £110 per vehicle, while the Road Haulage Association put it at nearer £200 per seat. Either way the price of not doing so is far higher, as the Williams’ know all too well.

Over 1,500 of you have signed the petition so far and your support is vital to this campaign. Together, we can show the strength of this campaign and ensure that the lessons are learned from Peter’s tragic death.

If you, or any of your friends and family have not yet signed the petition you can add your name below.

Peter Williams was tragically killed last July when the 1995 Calor Gas lorry he was driving crashed. The lorry was not fitted with seatbelts. Peter's family have now decided to launch a campaign to prevent future tragedies.

All HGVs first used after 1 October 2001 legally have to be fitted with seatbelts. However, the Department for Transport estimate that over 250,000 vehicles registered before then could still be in use. Some will have been fitted with seatbelts but many will not. Yet these older vehicles are precisely the ones that are probably most prone to safety problems. That does not seem right. Without seatbelts, these older lorries become potential death-traps for drivers involved in an accident.

There is substantial evidence that seatbelts are life-savers. Indeed, a study conducted for the Department for Transport in 2001 concluded that 3 deaths and 35 serious injuries could be prevented if seatbelts were fitted to HGVs. The study estimated that the cost of fitting seatbelts was £110 per vehicle. That seems a small price to pay. In this day and age it is not unreasonable for lorry drivers to expect to be protected from death or serious injury. Nothing can bring Peter back. But more must be done to ensure we learn some lessons from his untimely death.