UK prime minister fined for not wearing seatbelt in Instagram video

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was fined on Friday for not wearing a seatbelt while filming a video discussing an economic program. 

The Lancashire Police, located in northern England, tweeted that the department issued a “fixed penalty” to a 42-year-old man from London following the circulation of a video on social media showing him not wearing a seatbelt while being a passenger in a moving car. The tweet did not identify Sunak by name. 

The BBC reported that the prime minister’s office said in a statement that Sunak “fully accepts” that he made a mistake and apologizes and plans to pay the fine. Passengers who do not wear a seatbelt when one is available can be fined up to 100 pounds. 

In the video posted on Instagram, Sunak discusses a second round of allocations being released from the country’s Levelling Up Fund, a social program that provides funding for projects that improve local communities. He announced that more than 2 billion pounds was being released to support projects from more than 100 local communities throughout the country. 

Sunak was previously fined in April along with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules in attending a birthday party for Johnson in June 2020. 

The BBC reported that fixed-penalty fines need to be paid or contested within 28 days of being issued. 

Those aged 14 and older are responsible for wearing a seatbelt, and drivers are responsible for passengers under 14 years old, according to the BBC. Exceptions exist for passengers who have a doctor’s certificate for a medical reason or who are riding in a police, fire or other rescue service vehicle.