Should their be a seat belt law?

Question

Do you think their should be a law that requires a person to wear a seat belt? What does it to for you?

Answer 1

well in uk it is law all person in car must have seat belts on

There are new regulations governing the wearing of seatbelts in cars, vans and goods vehicles, which will apply from 18 September 2006. The changes relate specifically to children and how they are secured in your vehicle.

From 18 September 2006 in cars, vans and goods vehicles

  Front seat Rear seat Who is responsible?

Driver Seat belt MUST be worn if available.

  Driver

Child up to 3 years* Correct child restraint MUST be used*. Correct child restraint MUST be used*. If one is not available in a taxi, may travel unrestrained. Driver

Child from 3rd birthday up to 135cms in height (approx 4'5") (or 12th birthday whichever they reach first)** Correct child restraint MUST be used***. Where seat belts fitted, correct child restraint MUST be used. Must use adult belt if the correct child restraint is not available:

- in a licensed taxi/private hire vehicle; or

- for a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity; or

- two occupied child restraints prevent fitment of a third.

A child 3 and over may travel unrestrained in the rear seat of a vehicle if seat belts are not available. Driver

Child over 1.35 metres (approx 4ft 5ins in height) or 12 or 13 years Seat belt MUST be worn if available. Seat belt MUST be worn if available. Driver

Adult passengers (ie 14 years and over) Seat belt MUST be worn if available. Seat belt MUST be worn if available. Passenger

In addition, the revised regulations also say that rear-facing baby seats MUST NOT be used in a seat protected by a frontal air-bag unless the air-bag has been deactivated manually or automatically.

* Children under 3 years MUST use the child restraint appropriate for their weight in all cars, vans and other goods vehicles, with the single exception for the rear of taxis. They cannot travel otherwise. This means for example that they may not travel in cars, vans or goods vehicles which do not have seat belts installed.

** Examples. A 7 year old who is 140 cms tall is over the height for a child restraint and may use an adult seat belt. A 12 year old who is 130 cms tall is over the age threshold and therefore may use an adult belt.

*** If no seat belts are fitted in the front, then children under 135 cms in height (who are also under 12 years of age) cannot travel in the front.

In buses and coaches (including minibuses), seated passengers aged 14 years and above will have to use seat belts where they are fitted. Regulations requiring children 3 years to 13 years to use seat belts (or child restraints if they are available) in these vehicles will be brought forward as soon as practicable. The regulations will not include any obligation for anyone to provide child restraints in these vehicles. Bus and coach (including minibus) operators need to notify their passengers that seat belt wearing is compulsory, where they are fitted.

Exemptions for children

Three exceptions allow children 3 years to 135 cms in height to travel in the rear and use an adult belt:

in a licensed taxi/private hire vehicle, if the right child restraint is not available; or

for unexpected necessity over a short distance, if the right child restraint is not available; or

where two occupied child seats in the rear prevent the fitment of a third child seat.

Children under 3 years may travel in the rear of a taxi unrestrained if no child restraint is available.

Child restraints and seat belt adjusters

"Child restraints" is the collective term in the seat belt wearing legislation for baby seats, child seats, booster seats and booster cushions.

Modern child restraints are designed for specific weight ranges of child. They have to meet UN ECE Regulation 44.03 (or subsequent) type approval standard and be marked with a label (showing an "E" and "44.03" or ".03") and the Group number, or weight range of child, for which it is designed. All child restraints that meet the Regulation 44.03 type approval standard are approved for use in forward-facing or rear-facing seats.

Manufacturers use different names for their products so the names we have used below may not always apply and are a guide only. Manufacturers sometimes combine weight ranges in one product so that it can be used over a longer time as a child grows. It is the weight of the child that decides the restraint that must be used.

Group 0 and Group 0+. These are baby seats - rear-facing and for children up to 10kg and up to 13kg respectively (approx age birth to 9-12 months);

Group I. Child seats - forward facing and for children 9kg to 18kg (approx 9 months to 4 years);

Group II. Booster seats - for children from 15kg to 25kg (approx 4 to 6 years), or 15kg up to 36 kg);

Group III. Booster cushions - for children from 22kg and up to 36kg (from approx 6 years).

Seat belt adjusters are comfort devices and not safety devices (check what the manufacturer says about them and their intended use). Only if an adjuster is labelled that it has been approved (and therefore tested) to the UN ECE Regulation 44.03 type-approval standard can it used instead of a type-approved child seat/booster.

Exemptions from seat belt wearing

The legislation provides for a number of specific exemptions from the seat belt wearing requirements on medical and other grounds. Please consult your doctor if you think you should not wear a seat belt on medical grounds.

As for the others these include:-

"(b) the driver of or a passenger in a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for carrying goods, while on a journey which does not exceed 50 metres and which is undertaken for the purpose of delivering or collecting any thing;

(c) a person driving a vehicle while performing a manoeuvre which includes reversing;

(d) a qualified driver (within the meaning given by regulation 9 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1987) who is supervising the holder of a provisional licence (within the meaning of Part III of the Act) while that holder is performing a manoeuvre which includes reversing;

(e) a person by whom, as provided in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1987, a test of competence to drive is being conducted and his wearing a seat belt would endanger himself or any other person;

(f) a person driving or riding in a vehicle while it is being used for fire brigade or police purposes or for carrying a person in lawful custody (a person who is being so carried being included in this exemption);

(g) the driver of—

(i) a licensed taxi while it is being used for seeking hire, or answering a call for hire, or carrying a passenger for hire, or

(ii) a private hire vehicle while it is being used to carry a passenger for hire;

(h) a person riding in a vehicle, being used under a trade licence, for the purpose of investigating or remedying a mechanical fault in the vehicle;

(j) a disabled person who is wearing a disabled person's belt; or

(k) a person riding in a vehicle while it is taking part in a procession organised by or on behalf of the Crown."

Fitting Seat Belts

All new cars must have:

Front and rear seatbelts fitted that must be worn

Older cars that do not have seatbelts:

Do not need to have them fitted and worn, but cannot be used for carrying children

However if seatbelts are fitted in older cars they must be worn.

--------------------------------------...

The old law (pre 18 September 2006) was

  FRONT

SEAT

REAR

SEAT

WHOSE

RESPONSIBILITY



DRIVER

Must be worn if fitted

-

Driver



CHILD UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE

Appropriate child restraint must be worn

Appropriate child restraint must be worn if available

Driver



CHILD AGED

3 to 11 and under, 1.5metres (about 5 feet) 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 if available

Driver



CHILD AGED 12 or 13 or younger child 1.5metres or more in height

Adult seat belt must be worn if available

Adult seat belt must be worn if available

Driver



PASSENGERS

over the age of 14

Must be worn if available

Must be worn if available

Passenger



Reproduced from 'The Highway Code' p19, 1999. ISBN 0-11-551977-7

Answer 2

In Illinois you have to wear a seatbelt, but not a helmet on a bike...

I always wear a helmet, but not a seatbelt...

I think it should be your choice, along with airbags....

I think airbags should be optional equipment.....

Answer 3

Of cause there should. There have been studies done on purpose. If in a crash than you will die. Because your not moving with the car and that could kill you.

Answer 4

i think so.  not so much for the driver when alone but b/c some people don't know how to take care of their kids/passengers and laws & regulations are a last line of defense.  if they are not worried about the lives of others maybe they will be worried for their pocket book.

Answer 5

no there shouldn't be a law like that, it is just another way for the goverment to control your life and mine.

Answer 6

This is a difficult question. I do think there should be a law unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing one. It has been proven to save lifes. There should ABSOLUTELY be a law requiring children to wear them. Parent's that dont' require their children to wear seatbelts should be punished.

I understand it's a right to choose, but it's for your best interest. I've also heard arguments that if one person is wearing a seat belt and the other isn't, then the person thrashing around in the car could injur the other person. I don't know how legit that argument is, but it's something that has been discussed.

Answer 7

A lot of people see seat-belt and motorcycle helmet laws as violation of their personal freedoms. They feel that they have the right to engage in behavior that endangers nobody but themselves.

Others argue that society has an interest in protecting its members; at times even from themselves.

In the end it comes down to how much personal freedom we want and how much protection. The dividing line will move each way depending on how many intrusions we allow for our personal rights and our risk tolerance.

My solution would be that should someone get in an accident where their not wearing a helmet or seat-belt contributed to the severity of their injury that they alone would be responsible for their expenses. Where there is freedom there is responsibility.............................

Answer 8

I dont really care for it all that much, there are times when I just dont feel like putting the thing on. Fortunately my car has the automatic ones so I dont even have to think about it otherwise I probably would have had a ticket by now.

Answer 9

Absolutely,  there needs to be such a law,  because too many won't take responsibility for themselves.

Seat belts are proven to limit injuries by keeping a person from flying around inside the vehicle,  or getting tossed out and run over.   Minimalizing injuries results in lower medical costs that the public usually ends up having to share,  as most irresponsible persons also don't carry insurance.  Also, preventing fatalities means the roads can be reopened sooner,  limiting economic damage to the community.

Answer 10

My wife and I survived a 360% roll over accident, the forces generated were enough to throw us through the windows, we survived with very minor glass cuts because we were wearing seat belts and were pinned firmly in our seats.

Had it not been for the seat belt law being in place I would not have been wearing a seat belt, today I am fully in favor of the seat belt law.

Answer 11

No.  It's not like smoking or speeding where you have the possibility of hurting or killing someone else.  It should be personal choice, and if you're that stupid not to wear it then fine.  I do believe in laws for children, because they are too young to decide for themselves and parents cannot be trusted to do the right thing.

Seatbelt laws are like the goverment telling me I cant eat fattening food, or swim alone, or play dangerous sports.