THE number of children in Dorset being driven to and from school without wearing a seatbelt has fallen to its lowest level - but around 1,800 children a year are still at risk.

Road safety officers from Dorset County Council undertake the surveys near primary and secondary schools in both urban and rural areas, visiting the same schools at the same time every year.

For the first time, two sites - Blandford St Mary First School and Colehill First School - achieved a 100 per cent rate for seatbelt wearing.

Two other sites near Abbey Primary School in Sherborne and Hampreston First School achieved a 99 per cent rate.

Overall, the survey showed that more than 90 per cent of children are now safely belted in on the school run, a rise of one per cent on last year.

This figure compares with 60 per cent wearing seatbelts when the annual surveys were first undertaken in 1993.

The average this year works out at 93 per cent for primary and first schools and 84 per cent for secondary schools.

Robert Smith, Dorset County Council's network traffic safety team leader said: "The figures reveal that the seatbelt message is clearly reaching many more parents than it did in the early 1990s.

"In real terms, however, the 10 per cent that are unbelted represents about 1,800 children put at risk every day in Dorset by parents who fail to check that seatbelts are worn by their young passengers.

"Influencing the remaining hardcore of parents will be a tough challenge for us and strict enforcement combined with some creative publicity will continue to be our approach in the short term."

Col Geoff Brierley, Dorset County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said the continued improvement was "encouraging".