Motorists and passengers caught not wearing a safety belt will face the new on-the-spot penalty.

Penalties for motorists who deliberately disguise or illegally alter their number plate have also been doubled to £60 amid concerns by the police that the problem is growing.

It came as separate figures showed the number of people trying to obtain a driving licence with a suspect birth certificate has more than doubled in three years.

It raises concerns over the number of people trying to obtain a fake ID through official channels.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists welcomed the tougher fines but warned they would be ineffective without better police enforcement on the roads.

The Department for Transport last year suggested as many as 14 per cent of motorists are "inconsistent" with their seatbelt use.

A consultation by the Home Office found that many motorists persist in ignoring the law despite the £30 fine and high profile campaigns that someone dies every day because they were not wearing a seatbelt.

Similarly, police have warned of a growing problem of drivers misrepresenting their number plates, often to avoid prosecution for offences.

It includes failure to conform with rules on font, size and colour of number plates but can also mean using tape or markers to alter the digits.

Alan Campbell, the Home Office minister said: "By increasing the fixed penalty, we are sending a clear message to motorists that we will crack down on them if they are caught failing to take this vital safety precaution. This is not about taking money from motorists, it's about doing all we can to keep the public safe on our roads."

Paul Clark Road Safety Minister, said: "Every day someone dies because they do not think they always need to use a seat belt. This tragic waste could be avoided if everyone took the simple step of belting up every time they got in a car."

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