NORTH Yorkshire has the third highest number of seat belt offences in the UK, according to new research into car crimes.

The research by GoShorty analysed data from a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and Government sources to reveal the most common car crimes and the areas with the highest number of offences.

The data from the study found that North Yorkshire has the third highest number of seat belt offences per 100,000 people with 211.16. Essex ranked at number one with 286.5 offences per 100,000 people, while Northamptonshire ranked in second with 251.06 offences.

A spokesperson for the research said: "The seat belt is possibly the most game-changing safety feature in motor vehicle history, which has saved thousands of lives since it was made a legal requirement in the UK in 1983.

"Wearing a seat belt protects everyone in the vehicle, as if you’re not strapped in when an accident takes place you can could make serious contact with other passengers. If you’re found not to be wearing a seat belt when you should be you may be fined up to £500."

The data found that speeding offences made up for 1.8 million of the total motoring offences across the country.