Dear resident,

It has been brought to our attention that a certain amount of drivers are still failing to wear a seatbelt when driving a vehicle on public roads.

Seat belts are a significant contributing factor in road collisions and the resulting injuries. In the UK it is a legal requirement for drivers and passengers to wear a seat belt, unless they have an exemption, and it is the driver’s legal responsibility to ensure that any passenger under 14 years old is using the appropriate child restraint.

Over the past three years, 18 people have been killed and 42 seriously injured in collisions across West Mercia where a seatbelt has not been worn.
 

Below are some reminders.

You must wear a seat belt if one is fitted in the seat you're using - there are only a few exceptions. You're also only allowed one person in each seat fitted with a seat belt. You can be fined up to £500 and receive 3 points on your licence if you do not wear a seat belt when you're supposed to.

Exemptions

You do not need to wear a seat belt if you’re:

a driver who is reversing, or supervising a learner driver who is reversing

a passenger in a trade vehicle and you’re investigating a fault

driving a goods vehicle on deliveries that is travelling no more than 50 metres between stops

a licensed taxi driver who is looking for customers either by being hailed in the street or by waiting at a taxi rank (known as ‘plying for hire’)

a licensed taxi driver or a driver of a private hire vehicle who is carrying passengers

Medical Exemptions

Your doctor may say you do not have to wear a seat belt for a medical reason. They’ll give you a ‘Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing’. You must:

keep this in your vehicle

show it to the police if you’re stopped

You’ll also need to tell your car insurer.

Kind regards