Motorists with a speech, language or communication barrier can access free seatbelt covers to help communication.

Devon & Cornwall Police have teamed up with road safety partnership Vision Zero South West to offer the innovative belts which can be personalised and wrapped around an adult seatbelt using Velcro.

A card inside the seatbelt cover allows the user to add their name, age, address, medical conditions and other information that would be helpful for first responders.

There is also an option for the seat belt wearer to use the information card to point to a picture showing which part of the body they have injured.

Acting inspector Jon Ford, from the diverse communities team said: “There may be all sorts of reasons why someone needs extra help with communication after an incident on the road. They may be neurodiverse, have a learning disability or perhaps a medical condition which affects their speech.

“The seat belt covers are a simple, but important way to let others know that you may need extra help in certain situations, whether you are a driver or passenger.”

Police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, Alison Hernandez said: “Being involved in a serious collision is a traumatic experience for anyone, but for those with communication barriers it can be particularly frightening.

“These carefully designed seat belt covers help not only the casualties, but also emergency service staff or members of the public who are first on the scene at a collision.

“Through the fantastic post-collision work of Dr Tim Nutbeam and the EXIT project, we know that early extrication from a vehicle can mean the difference between life and death, so being able to communicate clearly with anyone trapped in a vehicle is vital.”

The packs are available at Police Enquiry Office (PEO) across Devon and Cornwall at: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/contact/find-a-police-station/