Car Seatbelt Law.

It is a sad fact of life that we will all be involved in at least one car accident in our lives. Every year lots of people suffer injuries and even fatalities on our roads. It is essential that if we are to protect ourselves that we should wear seatbelts at all times, after all they are designed specifically to protect us. It is thought that since the introduction of legislation in 1983 which states that you must wear a seatbelt if one is fitted, that an estimated 50 thousand lives have been saved in car accidents as a direct result. However, whilst statistics show that 90% of adults in the front seat wear seatbelts only 66% of passengers wear them in the back.

If you are one of the 90% of adults who are making the effort to wear their seatbelts on every car journey, how can you be sure that you are wearing it correctly and protecting yourself fully? It is thought that only 4% of drivers ensure that they are properly wearing their seatbelts when they set off. In order for you to be get the maximum protection from your seatbelt you need to wear your seatbelt as tight as possible. If wearing a lap belt it should go over your pelvis and hips and not your stomach. If you are wearing a diagonal belt then you need to ensure that the strap goes over your shoulders and not your neck.

It is important to be aware of the legislation that exists surrounding car seatbelts. Since 1965, by law seatbelts must be fitted in the front of all new cars and in 1987 legislation ensured that compulsory rear seatbelts were added too. In order to protect ourselves and passengers UK law states that adults and children over 12 or over 1.5 metres must wear seatbelts in the front of a car and in the back if available. The law also states that children aged 3-11 and under 1.5 metres must wear a child restraint if available and if not, they must wear a seatbelt in the front of the car, or in the back if available.  It is always safer for a child to travel in the back of the car unless there is a better form of restraint in the front. Finally the law also ensures that all passengers travelling in taxis and small minibuses must wear seatbelts for their own safety.

However, there are a few exceptions to the car seatbelt rules. In the situation that you are travelling in a car that does not have rear seatbelts and it is not possible to sit in the front then you may be excused for not wearing belt. Delivery van drivers are allowed to travel up to 50 metres between collections and deliveries without wearing a seatbelt. If you are reversing then you do not need to wear a seatbelt and if you are travelling in a coach or a large minibus then you do not need to wear one, although it is highly recommended.

Car seatbelts are there to protect us and others so make sure that the next time you’re out and about you and your passengers are all wearing their seatbelts, it could save lives.