The police left stunned after stopping the car with 14 people in it

Police were left stunned after they stopped a car on a busy road and found it was carrying an astonishing 14 people. Officers stopped the seven-seater Vauxhall Zafira along Nottingham Road in Basford, Nottingham on Monday (May 27) believing it was overloaded.

But they were shocked to find double the number of legally authorized passengers inside – including eight children who were not wearing seat belts. The driver has now been charged with driving without due care and attention.

He will also be charged with failing to ensure that children under 14 wore seat belts and using a motor vehicle in which the number of passengers was likely to cause danger. PC Dan Bird, from Nottinghamshire Police’s Radford Road Response Team, said: “Carrying too many passengers in a vehicle is a serious offence, primarily because of the safety risks it poses.

“People are twice as likely to die in a car crash if they are not wearing a seatbelt, which is why we were extremely alarmed to find eight children without seatbelts inside this vehicle. Drivers should always respect the passenger capacity of their vehicle, as failure to do so can have devastating consequences.

“Additionally, driving with more passengers than seat belts can void your car insurance, leaving you uninsured in the event of an accident. You may also receive penalty points on your license and a fine. In serious cases, you could be taken to court, where the penalties could be more significant.”

After the force posted images of the bizarre incident on social media, bewildered netizens reacted with astonishment. One person commented “How do you get 14 people in a car”, while another person added “This beggars belief”.

A third said: “Our kids are fighting 2 in the back!” and another wrote: “It’s just common sense, why as an adult should you be told this.”

By law, all drivers and passengers must wear a seat belt when traveling in a car, van or other vehicle, whether sitting in the front or as a passenger in the back seat. The person driving is responsible for ensuring that children under 14 wear one.

For passengers aged 14 and over, it is their own responsibility to wear a seat belt. Passengers caught not wearing a seatbelt when one is available, unless they have a special reason, can be asked to pay a £100 fine. This fine can rise to £500 if the case goes to court.