Football clubs shirts redesigned to feature seat belt

A football club’s match shirts have been redesigned to feature a seat belt motif as part of a road safety campaign backed by former England striker Ian Wright.

Non-league Basingstoke Town in Hampshire said it will use the one-off shirts for its home match against Merthyr Town on Saturday.

Instead of three vertical blue stripes, the new version has a single diagonal blue stripe.

The AA Charitable Trust, which is organising the stunt, will also display the message “Buckle Up” on perimeter boards, napkins, car park flags and beermats for the game at the Winklebury Football Complex stadium.

Wright, 61, who appears on The Overlap podcast, said: “Wearing a seat belt is the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself when you’re in a car, no matter if you’re driving or getting a lift.

“It reduces the risk of death in a crash by 50%.”

Analysis by the AA Charitable Trust found 43% of passengers aged 17-29 who died in crashes on Britain’s roads between 2019 and 2023 were unbelted.

The figure for passengers of all ages was 27%.

The analysis also found 29% of young drivers who die in crashes are not wearing a seat belt, of which 95% are male.

AA Charitable Trust director Edmund King said: “For any football club, young players are their most valuable assets and therefore ensuring they stay safe on the roads is vitally important.

“Research shows that teenagers are most at risk from serious injury as passengers or drivers when unbelted.

“Even on short journeys it’s absolutely vital to wear your seat belt.

“We hope this initiative will inspire other clubs to consider backing our campaign and even switching their kits for a one-off match.”

Drivers can be handed a £100 on-the-spot fixed penalty notice if they are caught not wearing a seat belt when they are supposed to.

If the case goes to court they could be fined up to £500.

The AA Charitable Trust has previously called for new drivers caught behind the wheel unbelted to be handed six penalty points, meaning they could lose their licence.

Basingstoke Town chairman Jack Miller said: “The seat belt kit is a striking reminder of a simple action that saves lives, and we’re proud to wear it.