POLICE have reiterated the need for people to wear seatbelts after an eight-year-old boy was sent careering through a car windscreen.Officers said the Brightlingsea child was lucky to be alive after the crash, which caused four-mile tailbacks on the A120 near Harwich.

By Sharon Asplin

POLICE have reiterated the need for people to wear seatbelts after an eight-year-old boy was sent careering through a car windscreen.

Officers said the Brightlingsea child was lucky to be alive after the crash, which caused four-mile tailbacks on the A120 near Harwich.

His 31-year-old mother was driving the boy, a rear-seat passenger, in their Peugeot 106 when the collision took place on Friday evening. The silver-coloured Peugeot was in a collision with a red-coloured Mercedes.

The mother and her four year-old son, who had his seatbelt on in the front seat, both received minor chest injuries. However, the eight-year-old received a broken jaw and severe facial injuries as a direct result of hitting the car windscreen.

All three were taken to Colchester General Hospital, with the eight-year-old the only patient now still in hospital.

Investigating officer Pc Dave Williams said: "Although I do feel for both the mother and sons involved in this crash, it clearly highlights what we have been saying for the past few months.

"People need to wear their seatbelts when travelling in vehicles otherwise they will suffer these type of injuries. In fact, this boy is lucky to be alive following this particular crash."

The driver of the Mercedes, a 46-year-old woman from Wrabness, sustained minor whiplash injures. She was taken to hospital but was later discharged.

Meanwhile, Essex police are also urging motorcyclists to take more care on the roads.

A police spokesman said extra patrols were now being carried out by road policing officers in an effort to combat the "significant minority" of riders who continued to flout the law and put themselves and others at risk.

So far, 37 people have been killed on Essex roads this year, seven of whom were motorcyclists.

The spokesman added: "Recent covert operations in Burnham and in Clacton have shown motorcyclists to have no regard whatsoever for other road users, with their stunts and speeds horrifying officers who have been manning the cameras.

"One motorcyclist was recorded travelling at a speed of 108mph on a derestricted road, proving that a mindless section still choose to use the county's roads as their own personalised speed tracks."

Sixty motorcyclists have been prosecuted for excess speed from just those two locations on the B1010 and the A133.

In partnership with Essex County Council, the police aim to reduce the number of riders being killed and seriously injured on the county's roads with ongoing educational programmes and speed enforcement.

n Anyone with any information about the A120 crash just after 6pm on Friday evening at Wrabness should contact Stanway road policing unit on 01206 762512.

MOTORISTS with heavily-tinted windscreens could find themselves fined £60 and have their driving licences endorsed with penalty points as part of a police drive to reduce road casualties across the county.

The warning comes as road policing officers hit the streets with their new Tint Man technology during this summer, with a view to educating drivers before they fall foul of the law and ahead of any collision.

The light standard for vehicle glass states that front windscreens must allow at least 75% of light through, while front-seat windows must admit 70%. All vehicle manufacturers adhere to these guidelines but tinted film purchased at retail outlets can fall foul of the standards.

Sgt Richard Raker, based force headquarters, said: "As well as reducing the obvious risk of injury to pedestrians and other road users, we are trying to ensure that drivers don't become victims themselves as overly-tinted windows can actually sometimes invalidate the person's car insurance.

"It's not fair on the motorist if they don't know the rules and by publicising the laws surrounding tinted windows, we are giving them every opportunity to escape punishment as well as saving lives."

Those vehicles found to allow considerably less than the minimum legal limits of light through will be prohibited from travelling any further, with drivers fined £60 and their licences endorsed with three points.