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Belt up between deliveries, goods vehicle drivers are warned

The exemption from wearing seatbelts for van and goods vehicle users when undertaking local rounds of deliveries or collections has been revised.

The exemption was originally intended for those engaged in house-to-house type operations where it would have been unreasonable to expect a seatbelt to be worn over such short distances. However, over the years drivers and passengers have come to believe that it applies to deliveries or collections over any distance.

The revision means that, from 1 March 2005, users of vans and goods vehicles must use their seatbelts, where they are fitted, if they travel more than 50 metres between stops for the purpose of delivering or collecting.

If the current low seatbelt wearing rates for van drivers and their passengers can be brought up to the levels of seatbelt wearing seen in cars, then the casualty savings would be up to 20 lives, 240 serious injuries and 1,000 slight injuries annually.

The text of the revised regulation is at: www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050027.htm

Seatbelt wearing figures are available at: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/statistics/belt0410.htm

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