Three members of a family who died in a car crash on a quiet moorland road could have been saved if they had been wearing seatbelts, an inquest heard.

Ayub Mohmed Adam, aged 50, his wife Zubeda Ayub Adam, aged 49, both of Grasmere Street, Astley Bridge, and Mr Adam's father Mohmed Adam Ali, aged 73, of Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge died in the crash.

Their car was involved in a collision with another in which a couple were driving to Blackpool for a weekend away.

Blackburn coroner Michael Singleton described the accident as a tragedy.

He added: "It is particularly tragic when the evidence suggests that, had all the occupants been properly restrained, the outcome may have been different.

"This case demonstrates quite graphically that there is a need to be restrained, and not just for your own protection."

The inquest heard that Graham Haworth and his wife Denise had left their Bolton home on August 13 heading for the Fylde coast.

But when they were between Belmont and Abbey Village, a Toyota Carina appeared, travelling in the opposite direction, which seemed to be out of control.

Mr Haworth said the car came at them side-on and hit the front driver's side of his Ford Focus.Mr Howarth suffered extensive injuries and was in surgery for six hours. Mrs Haworth suffered a broken wrist, fractured sternum and extensive bruising.

Det Con David Brooks, the first police officer on the scene, found two bodies lying in the road and the body of a woman in the boot of the Toyota. Two boys, aged four and three, were being cared for by other motorists, including a doctor, who had stopped to assist.

Police accident investigator Richard Roberts said "I am confident it would have been a different outcome had the occupants of the Toyota all been wearing seat belts. The damage to their vehicle was to the front end and not to the passenger compartment."

Verdicts of accidental death were recorded.

A verdict of accidental death was also recorded into the deaths of Irfan Musa, aged 24 of St James Place, and his passenger Suhel Congress, aged 21, of Shear Brow, Blackburn.

PC John Sutcliffe told the inquest that in his opinion the anti-lock braking system on Irfan Ahmed Musa's car was not working when it went out of control on Preston New Road at Samlesbury and crashed into a lamp post and a tree.

He said it had not been possible to get into the Mercedes CLK 500 Avant-gardes computerised diagnostic system to establish whether the stability control feature was working or switched off.

But he said: The car's rear tyres and the drivers inexperience are the real issues.

The driver was 24 and passed his test in 2001.

The car was also estimated to be travelling at more than 70mph in a 60mph zone.