Wearing of Seat Belts
Has anybody noticed that delivery van drivers appear to be exempt from the wearing of seat belts?
Myth - 'You don't have to wear a seat belt in a van'. If seat belts are fitted in any vehicle then they must be worn. Any driver or passenger would commit an offence if they failed to do so.
Myth - 'I don't have to wear it, because I am making deliveries'. This exception only applies to those driving a goods vehicle on deliveries that is travelling no more than 50 metres between stops. This easement is aimed at those making house to house type deliveries such as the milkman.
Whilst there may be a number of factors that have come together to reduce road death and serious injury on our roads over the last ten years, there is no doubt that one of the main contributors is the mandatory wearing of seat belts.
Direct.Gov has useful resources to give you a comprehensive understanding of why you should wear your seat belt and when you don't need to:
Your seat belt is as important as any other piece of personal protective equipment that you might use at work. Include it in your day to day risk assessment. The constant wearing of a seat belt is habit forming - you will very quickly feel vulnerable if you are not wearing it!
Think! Always wear a seat belt - You're twice as likely to die in a crash if you don't wear a seat belt.
