Strap on your seatbelt, Bermuda has entered a new year with new laws in place making the life-saving belts mandatory for driver and front-seat passengers.

Police and the Road Safety Council held a joint press conference on Tuesday to remind the public the new laws are in effect and officers will be issuing tickets for non-compliance.

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines explained that between January 1, 2003 and January 1, 2004 a "caution" period will be in effect.

Officers will be stopping vehicles and checking for seatbelts and proper safety seats for children but not issuing fines.

Mr. Caines said the offences would be subject to fines beginning January 2, 2004 but the amounts of those tickets have yet to be set by Government.

"In the first year, we'll be ticketing to keep a record of how many people are contravening the law," he said.

"All front seat passengers and drivers are required to wear a seatbelt," Road Safety Officer Roxanne Christopher said.

The only exceptions to the the requirement are passengers on public transport and in taxi cabs.

Both bus and cab drivers will be required to buckle up however.

All children under 80 pounds in weight must be secured in the backseat, in proper fitted and sized children's safety seats, Ms Christopher said

There are three categories of child seats required under law.

Infants under one year of age and 20 pounds must ride in an infant-only or convertible seat, in a rear-facing position, she explained

Children under the age of one, but over 20 pounds in weight, should be transferred to a convertible seat, again positioned in a rear-facing manner.

Children over age one, and in the 20 to 40 pound weight range, can be secured in convertible seats suitable to their age, facing forward in the back seat.

And children between the 40 and 80 pounds in weights must be placed in properly sized booster seats which ensure seatbelts fit properly around their hips and chests.

The seats can be purchased on the Island and are marked with age and weight categories to guide parents.

Ms Christopher also said TCD will be including seatbelt checks in their vehicle licensing inspections as of today.

Vehicles manufactured without seatbelts will be exempt from the new law but, where individuals have removed the belts from their vehicles, they will be required to re-install them, she said.