Seat Belts

Protecting our communities together.

The Traffic Investigation Unit Database shows that of the 46 people who lost their lives on Warwickshire’s roads last year, it could be proved that 7 were not wearing their seat belt, a significant 15% . During the investigation of the first fatal collision of this year it has been shown that the deceased had not been wearing a seat belt.

Clearly if these eight people “had another chance” and had worn their seat belt, the outcome may well have been different.

Seat belts and the law

A decade of advertising preceded the introduction of a law making the wearing of front Seat belts compulsory in 1982. Soon after the law came into effect there was 90 per cent wearing by car drivers and front seat passengers. These high rates of wearing in the front seats of cars have remained high. In 1991 when it became compulsory for adults to wear Seat belts in the back of a car, there was an immediate increase from 10 per cent to 40 per cent in observed rear seat belt wearing.

Belt up in the back

It became compulsory for adults to wear rear seat belts in 1991, and since 1994 we've focused on encouraging people to belt up in the back - for everyone's sake.

What are the seat belt wearing rules in mini-buses, buses and coaches?

Seat belt wearing is already compulsory in minibuses under 2.54 tonnes unladen weight. If available, an appropriate child seat must be used in these vehicles but there is no obligation on anyone to provide them. Note the new obligation to notify passengers that seat belt wearing is compulsory - see below. Seated passengers aged 14 years and above must use seat belts where they are fitted in all buses and coaches. Children up to 13 years should use a child car seat if one is available and suitable. If there is no suitable child car seat they should use the belt provided. The operator is not required to provide a suitable child seat.

Vehicle operators must notify passengers of the legal requirement to use seat belts. The regulations require notification by any of:

(a) an official announcement, or an audio-visual presentation, made when the passenger joins the bus or within a reasonable time of his doing so; (b) a sign prominently displayed at each passenger seat equipped with a seat belt. An "official announcement" means one by the driver, by a conductor or courier or by a group leader of any passengers on the vehicle. A sign that takes the form of a pictorial symbol must be in the agreed form depicting a white figure on a blue background