More than two million drivers forget or cannot be bothered to wear a seatbelt a quarter of a century after the requirement to belt up became law.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the first laws requiring seatbelts to be worn in cars. However, a survey has found that nearly four in ten passengers do not wear them for every journey. Excuses given by motorists included the defence that they were travelling only a short distance, did not think about it or that the belt was uncomfortable. The worst culprits were people aged 35 to 44.

Martin Milliner, head of technical claims at LV=, the insurance company that commissioned the survey, said: “It’s particularly worrying that people in their thirties and forties are apathetic about using a seatbelt, especially as they are more likely to be travelling with children than younger drivers. We would really urge drivers and passengers to think again about their safety and ensure that everyone in the car is buckled up on every journey.”

Latest figures show that there are 37,000 fatal or serious injuries on Britain’s roads every year, many of which could be prevented by belts. Motorists who break the law face fines of up to £500 and possible court appearances.

Keith Kelly, spokesman for Brake, the road safety charity, said that a “pitifully small” amount of money was spent on raising people’s awareness of road safety.