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Wearing a seat belt saves lives!!
Introduction
Since 1983, when it became a legal requirement, many people have been spared death or serious injury by wearing seat belts. Everyone knows they should wear a seat belt in the front seat, but many people still don't realise how dangerous it is not to wear a seat belt in the back. In a crash at 30mph, if you are unrestrained, you will hit the front seat, and anyone in it, with a force of between 30 and 60 times your own body weight. Such an impact could result in death or serious injury to both yourself and front seat occupants. Any award for damages following an accident may be reduced if you were not wearing a seat belt.
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The Law
In law:
- You MUST wear a seat belt if one is fitted. There are few exceptions to this and the driver is liable to prosecution if a child under 14 years does not wear a seat belt.
- You MUST NOT carry an unrestrained child in the front seat of any vehicle.
- Children under three years travelling in the front of any vehicle MUST be carried in an appropriate child restraint. The adult belt may not be used.
- If an appropriate child restraint is fitted in the front, but not in the rear, children under three MUST use that restraint.
- If an appropriate child restraint or seat belt is available in the front, but not in the rear, children between 3 and 11 and under 1.5m in height MUST use the front seat restraint or seat belt. The law is summarised in the table.
The law is summarised in the table
Summary of the Law
| |
FRONT SEAT |
REAR SEAT |
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE |
| DRIVER |
Seat belt must be worn if fitted |
- |
DRIVER |
| CHILD UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE |
Appropriate child restraint must be used |
Appropriate child restraint must be used if available |
DRIVER |
| CHILD AGED 3 TO 11 AND UNDER 1.5 METRES (APPROX 5FT) IN HEIGHT |
Appropriate child restraint must be worn if available. if not, an adult seat belt must be worn. |
Appropriate child restraint must be worn if available. if not, an adult seat belt must be worn. |
DRIVER |
| CHILD AGED12 or 13 OR YOUNGER CHILD 1.5 METRES (APPROX 5FT) OR MORE IN HEIGHT |
Adult seat belt must be worn if available |
Adult seat belt must be worn if available |
DRIVER |
| ADULT PASSENGERS |
Seat belt must be worn if available |
Seat belt must be worn if available |
PASSENGER |
Which Vehicles Does the Law Affect?
Front seats of all vehicles, including vans, coaches, buses and goods vehicles where seat belts are fitted. Rear seats of cars and small minibuses (with an unladen weight of 2,540 kgs or less) where seat belts are fitted.
Whilst the law does not require seat belts to be worn in the rear seats of larger minibuses or coaches they should be used if fitted.
What If There Are Not Enough Seat Belts Available?
The law does not prevent you from carrying more passengers than there are seat belts and restraints. If you have to choose who rides without a belt or restraint, remember that heavier passengers can cause greater injury to others in an accident than lighter passengers.
If no child restraint is available for children under three years, it is generally safer for them to wear an adult belt, in the back seat, rather than no restraint at all.
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Seat Belt Use
Drivers and front seat passengers should sit as far back as is reasonably possible from the steering wheel or dashboard to reduce the possibility of serious head or chest injuries in an accident.
Lap-and-diagonal belts provide more protection and should be used before lap-only belts.
Never put the same seat belt around yourself and another passenger
(adult or child).
Adjust the seat belt properly. Place the lap belt as low as possible over the hips - not over the abdomen. Ensure the shoulder belt lies on the chest and over the shoulder. Do not leave any slack in the belt.
Many cars are now fitted with height adjusters for the diagonal strap. Thediagonal strap should be adjusted to lie centrally over the shoulder and away from the neck. Adjust the strap so that it lies in contact with your shoulder and slopes up and back to the anchorage point.
Do not interfere with the correct function of the seat belt by fitting any comfort devices that are not recommended by your vehicle manufacturer.
Do not attempt to improve seat belt comfort with padding or cushions. It is also not advisable to sit on any mats or cushions other than those originally fitted by the vehicle manufacturer.
Avoid thick clothing (such as coats and jackets) under the seat belt.
The centre rear seats of many cars are fitted with a lap-only seat belt that must be adjusted manually. It is important that you adjust such belts for a snug fit over your hips, without any slack.
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Pregnant Women
 Like all drivers or passengers, pregnant women MUST wear a seat belt, unless their doctor certifies that they are medically exempt - there is no automatic exemption. Wearing one may not be comfortable, but it improves safety for mother and the unborn baby. The lap strap should go across the hips, fitting comfortably under the bump, while the diagonal strap should be placed between the breasts and around the bump.
A lap-and-diagonal seat belt is preferable to a lap-only belt; however, wearing a lap-only belt is better than wearing no belt at all.
In cars fitted with airbags, the front seat (whether the driver's or front passenger's) should be pushed back as far as practical.
Airbags
Airbags are not substitutes for seat belts and are designed to work in conjunction with seat belts. In the front seats you should sit as far back as reasonably possible from the steering wheel or dashboard in order to reduce the possibility of injury from an inflating airbag in an accident. Follow the advice in your vehicle handbook, and talk to the manufacturers if you have any specific questions about the operation of airbags.
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Child Restraint Systems
Injuries to children can be significantly reduced if they use a suitable child restraint. Child restraints come in a wide variety - baby seats, child seats, booster seats and booster cushions - and they must carry the United Nations "E" mark or BS "Kitemark". Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when fitting a child restraint.
Before buying a child restraint you should try it in your car to make sure it can be fitted properly. A properly installed restraint should be firm, with no excessive forward or sideways movement, and the buckle of the seat belt should not rest on the frame.
Beware of old or second-hand baby and child restraints which may be damaged or worn out and which may not have the correct fitting instructions.
Rear-facing baby seats provide very high levels of protection and are generally safer than forward-facing seats but they should never be used where a front seat is protected by an airbag.
The appropriate restraint depends on the weight, size and age of your child. Below is a table giving the approximate ages and weights of children for which the different types of child restraint are appropriate. However, for specific information in relation to your child, you should refer to the packaging and manufacturers instructions for the suitability of the restraint for your child.
| CHILD RESTRAINT TYPE |
WEIGHT RANGE |
AGE RANGE (APPROX) |
| BABY SEAT |
UP TO 10 KGS (22 LBS)* |
BIRTH TO 9 MONTHS |
| CHILD SEAT |
9 KGS TO 18 KGS (20-40 LBS) |
6 MONTHS TO 4 YEARS |
| BOOSTER SEAT |
9 KGS TO 25 KGS (20-55 LBS) |
6 MONTHS TO 6 YEARS |
| BOOSTER CUSHION |
15 KGS TO 36 KGS (33-80 LBS) |
4 YEARS TO 11 YEARS |
* Some baby seats may be suitable for children up to 13 kgs (15 months).
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Baby Seat
 WARNING
NEVER use a rear-facing child restraint in the front seat of a car fitted with a passenger airbag. This is because the restraint will be too close to the dashboard and in an accident, the expanding airbag is liable to cause serious or fatal injury to the child.
For a very young child, this is the safest type of restraintavailable. A baby seat is rear-facing and can be fitted in the front or rear of a car using the adult lap-and-diagonal seat belt, following the manufacturer's instructions. It is slightly safer to use the seat in the rear than in the front of the car. A portable baby seat can be convenient to use and to carry, and you are more likely to use it on every journey. Some baby seats can be converted into forward-facing child seats and may therefore be usable until your child is about four years old.
Child Seat
 A child seat is a separately-framed seat designed to be secured either by an adult seat belt through its frame, or by its own retention straps. The child is then restrained by the seat's integral harness which has the advantage of being specifically designed for a child. Remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions when fitting the restraint. A child seat can be forward or rear-facing. A child seat integral harness should include a 'crotch strap' which will prevent the child from sliding out feet first under the belt in an accident.
Booster Seat
 A booster seat raises and locates a child so that an adult seat belt can be used effectively. It incorporates slots to guide the adult seat belt straps around a child and must be used as instructed by the manufacturer. Both the booster seat and the child are restrained by the adult seat belt. A booster seat is intended to be used with an adult lap-and-diagonal seat belt. It is not designed to be used with an adult lap-belt.
Booster Cushion
This is a for a child who is too large for a child seat or booster seat. It is designed to raise a child so that the adult seat belt can be used. It must be used as instructed by the manufacturer. Some booster cushions have guides to improve the position of the adult seat belt across the hips and shoulder.
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Carrycots
Carrycots with restraint straps are not designed to withstand the considerable forces generated in an accident. A baby seat is safer and more convenient than a carrycot, although doctors may occasionally advise the use of carrycots, eg for premature babies. The best advice is that carrycots should be used only if the alternative is for a child to travel without any restraint at all.
Never put a child in the luggage space of hatchbacks or estate cars except in a restraint specifically designed for the purpose.
Exceptions From Seat Belt Wearing
There is a specific exemption from the seat belt wearing regulations on medical grounds. There are some other exemptions, for example when reversing.
If you think you should not wear a seat belt on medical grounds, please consult your doctor. He/she will decide and, if warranted will issue you with a formal "Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing". This must be produced if the police ask you for it.
If you are claiming certain benefits you may be entitled to assistance towards the cost of any medical examination for a medical exemption certificate.
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