The current UK seat belt wearing regulations exempt drivers of of delivery vehicles designed to deliver goods or mail to consumers or addressees while engaged in making local rounds of deliveries or collections. This is designed to exempt those making ferquent stops such as delivering milk or post, or collecting household refuse. However other delivery drivers going considerable distances have interpreted this exemption as applying to them. A new exemption is planned based on the maximum distance travelled and requiring seat belts to be fastened if this distance exceeds 50m. It is estimated that this would prevent 20 deaths, 240 serious injuries and 1040 slight injuries in small delivery vehicles and would have similar effects in larger goods vehicles. The additional time taken to fasten seat belts may lengthen some delivery rounds but the accident risk reduction is considered worthwhile. The new regulation will apply from 1 March 2005.
Samenvatting