Twenty five years of seatbelt wearing laws have helped save 60,000 lives, Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick revealed today.

Seatbelts have prevented an estimated 60,000 deaths and 670,000 serious injuries since 31 January 1983 when seatbelts were made mandatory for drivers and front seat passengers.

But on the 25th anniversary of the law change all passengers are being reminded to belt up in the back as well as the front. New research shows 9 out of 10 people agree it is dangerous to travel in the back of a car without a seatbelt but only 7 in 10 adults actually wear belts when sitting in the back.

Jim Fitzpatrick said: "Tens of thousands of lives have been saved since the first law on wearing seatbelts was introduced 25 years ago. Government campaigns have helped increase the numbers of people wearing seatbelts to more than 90% for drivers and front seat passengers but too many back seat passengers are still not belting up.

"With up to 15 drivers and front seat passengers killed each year by the impact of an unbelted rear seat passenger it is vital that everyone - young or old, travelling in the front or back - wears a seatbelt."

The Department for Transport is undertaking a major research project into the use of and attitudes towards seatbelts and will use the findings to inform a new seatbelts campaign which will launch towards the end of 2008.