Videos and Pics

In a break with official silence over the subject, Jim Fitzpatrick said it must be made clear that the Princess's death in a car accident in Paris in August 1997 could have been avoided.

Mr Fitzpatrick said that Trevor Rees Jones, the Princess's former bodyguard had worn his belt and been the sole survivor, "whereas Henri Paul, Dodi Fayed and Diana all weren't wearing seatbelts and they paid the ultimate price".

"There's so much sensitivity about Princess Diana because of her memory, but the period between then and now is quite significant," he said at the weekend.

"As an example, it couldn't be more graphic."

An inquest earlier this year found that the failure of the Princess, her partner Mr Fayed and their driver Mr Paul to buckle up was partly responsible for their deaths.

The minister was speaking as the Government prepared to unveil its latest road safety television advert.

The full version of the clip, contains such graphic footage that it can only be aired after the 9pm watershed.

The advert shows the damage caused to a driver's internal organs by a head-on collision at just 30mph.

His lungs are shown pierced by his ribs, while his aorta is torn from the heart by the force of the crash.

Heavy internal bleeding caused by such injuries is a common cause of death in road accidents.

An edited version of the clip - with a voiceover replacing the graphic footage - will be shown before the watershed.

The Department for Transport estimates that about 350 deaths a year are caused by drivers not wearing seatbelts.

The Government is also considering doubling the fine for motorists caught not wearing a seatbelt from £30 to £60, or expanding a pilot scheme in Kent that uses speed cameras to catch drivers.