Tayside Chief Constable John Vine helped launch the campaign

High visibility police patrols are out on the country's roads, targeting people speeding or not wearing seatbelts.

All eight Scottish forces are taking part in the awareness day, organised by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos).

It is the first of four such days between now and February 2007.

Tayside Chief Constable John Vine, of Acpos, said: "Speeding and failing to wear a seatbelt are inherently dangerous choices to make.

There appears to be a lapse in being safety-minded between the front and the back seats John Vine Acpos

"In the event of a collision, they cost lives.

"No-one can fail to be aware of the dangers associated with speeding, especially within built-up areas.

"The faster a vehicle is driven, the less time there is to react to any given situation and the force of any impact increases in the event of a collision."

Risk to children

Mr Vine said he was concerned about the number of people who belt up in the front of vehicles but fail to do so in the back.

"There appears to be a lapse in being safety-minded between the front and the back seats and, most worryingly, this lapse invariably puts children at greater risk," he said.

"People should be in no doubt that they and their passengers must be properly restrained, no matter how short their journey.

"This is about raising awareness of these issues and leaving people in no doubt that the police are out there targeting this sort of behaviour day in, day out.

"Our message is simple - you could be caught or killed - don't risk it."