Seat Belts and Child Restraints Factsheet

Car occupants form 64% of all road casualties. In 2006, 171,000 people were killed or injured while travelling in cars. Of these, 150,707 (88%) were drivers or front seat passengers.

Table 1 Car Occupant Casualties 2006¹

	Driver	Front Seat Passenger	Rear Seat Passenger	All Occupants
Killed	1,066	331	206	1,612
Serious	8,239	2,716	1,631	12,641
Slight	105,698	32,657	17,755	156,746
All	115,003	35,704	19,598	171,000

In a crash at just 30 mph, an unrestrained occupant would be thrown forward with a force 30 to 60 times their body weight. They would be thrown about inside the vehicle, injuring themselves and quite possibly seriously injuring (or even killing) other vehicle occupants. They are also likely to be ejected from the car through one of the windows.

Seat belts are designed to retain people in their seats, and so prevent or reduce injuries suffered in a crash.

Seat belts are a very effective safety measure. The Department for Transport has estimated that front seat belts have saved thousands of lives and tens of thousands of serious injuries since their use became compulsory. They also estimate that rear seat belts have saved hundreds of lives and thousands of serious injuries since 1991.

ALWAYS WEAR A SEAT BELT WHEN TRAVELLING IN THE FRONT OR THE REAR OF A CAR OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT HAS SEAT BELTS FITTED.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN TRAVEL IN AN APPROPRIATE CHILD RESTRAINT OR IN A SEAT BELT IF THEY ARE TOO BIG FOR A CHILD RESTRAINT.

The History of Seat Belt Legislation

1973-74
A clause in the Road Traffic Bill concerning seat belts was introduced at Report stage in the Lords. The Bill was dropped on the dissolution of Parliament in 1974.

1973-74
A similar clause was again included in the Road Traffic Bill, but after a close vote in the Lords, it was removed. A separate Bill was introduced but the Second Reading was never completed.

1974-75
After passing through the Lords, the Bill was adjourned at the Second Reading in the Commons due to insufficient parliamentary time.

1975-76
John Gilbert, Minister of Transport, introduced a Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill in 1976. Later that year, the Bill was hastily withdrawn when a vote showed that “Only 99 MP’s would be present instead of the necessary 100”.

1976-77
Two more seat belt Bills were introduced. Both failed. The first - in spite of a majority of 110 at its Second Reading in the Commons - was abandoned because there were “too few people in the House”. The second Bill was defeated in the Lords by 55 votes to 53.

1978-79
In November 1978, William Rodgers MP introduced a seat belts Bill. It completed its First and Second Readings in the House of Commons with a majority of “almost 100”. Labour lost the General Election in 1979 and their Bills were shelved.

1979-80
Neil Carmichael introduced a Private Members Bill for seat belt compulsion during this parliamentary session. A smooth passage through the Committee stage early in 1980 led to the Bill being “talked out” at the Report stage during September 1980.

1980
Lord Nugent of Guildford, RoSPA’s President, introduced a Private Members Bill. It gained a majority of 36 at the Second Reading, but again failed for procedural reasons.

1981
Lord Nugent seized his chance with an amendment to the Transport Bill which introduced seat belt wearing for a trial period of three years. RoSPA's president triumphed and the Bill became law…at last.

January 31, 1983
The law on seat belt wearing came into force.

1986
Both Houses of Parliament voted overwhelmingly to retain the law permanently.

1989
Regulations came into effect for mandatory rear seatbelt wearing by children.

1991
Wearing a seat belt in the back of a car became compulsory.

September 18, 2006

New laws are passed requiring children to use child seats.

The Law – Seat Belts in Cars

Adults
Drivers and adult front seat passengers in cars must wear a seat belt, unless they have a medical exemption certificate. Adults travelling in the rear of a car must also use seat belts, if they are fitted. It is the responsibility of the adult passenger (not the driver) to ensure that they are using the seat belt.

Children under 3 years old

In the Front Seat
The child MUST use the correct child restraint.

It is illegal to carry a child in a rear-facing child seat in the front, which is protected by an active frontal airbag.

In the Rear Seat

The child MUST use the correct child restraint.

In a licensed taxi or licensed hire car, if a child restraint is not available then the child may travel unrestrained in the rear. This is the only exception in the law for children under 3.

It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained within the law.

Children aged 3 and above, until they reach EITHER their 12th birthday OR 135cm in height

In the Front Seat
The child MUST use the correct child restraint.

In the Rear Seat
The child MUST use the correct restraint, where seat belts are fitted.

There are three exceptions where there is not a child seat available. In each case the child MUST use the adult belt instead. They are -

1) in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle;
2) if the child is travelling on a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity;
3) if there are two occupied child restraints in the rear which prevent the fitment of a third.

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

It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained.

Children over 1.35 metres in height, or who are 12 or 13 years old

In the Front Seat

The adult seat belt MUST be worn if available.

In the Rear Seat

The adult seat belt MUST be worn if available.

It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained.

Passengers Over 14 years old
If travelling in the front or rear seat, an adult seat belt MUST be worn if available.

The Law - Seat Belts in Minibuses and Coaches

Minibuses and Coaches Registered On or After 1 October 2001
All minibuses and coaches registered on or after 1 October 2001 (whether they carry child or adult passengers) must have forward-facing or rearward-facing seats.

Minibuses and Coaches Registered Before 1 October 2001
When the main purpose of the trip is to transport three or more children, minibuses and coaches registered before 1 October 2001 must have a forward-facing seat for each child, fitted with either a three-point seat belt or a lap belt.

Minibuses - Front Seats
Passengers sitting in the front seats, and any exposed seat, MUST use the seat belts that are provided. If children are sitting in these seats, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that:

children under 3 years of age use an appropriate child restraint
children aged between 3 and 11 year, and under 1.35 metres tall use an appropriate child restraint if available, or if not available, wear the seat belt.
children aged 12 and 13 years (and younger children who are 1.35 metres or taller)
use the seat belt.

Passengers aged 14 years or more travelling in the front seats, or any exposed seat, MUST wear a seat belt and are personally responsible for doing so.

Rear Seats in Small Minibuses
Passengers sitting in the rear of minibuses that have an unladen weight of 2,540 kg or less must wear the seat belts that are provided. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that:

children under 3 years of age use an appropriate child restraint if available.
children aged between 3 and 11 years, under 1.5 metres tall use an appropriate child restraint if available, or if not available, wear the seat belt, if available.
children aged 12 and 13 years (and younger children who are 13.5 metres or taller) use the seat belt, if available.

Passengers over the age of 14 years in smaller minibuses are legally responsible for wearing a seatbelt themselves.

Rear Seats in Larger Minibuses
The law does not require passengers in the rear of larger minibuses (over 2,540 kg unladen weight) to wear seat belts. However, all passengers are strongly advised to wear seat belts on all journeys.

Coaches
Passengers sitting in seats that are in line with, or in front of, the driver (excluding seats on an upper deck) MUST use seat belts that are fitted.

The law does not require passengers using other seats in coaches to wear seat belts. However, RoSPA strongly advises that where seat belts are fitted, they are worn.

Wearing Seat Belts

The basic points to note are:

the belt should be worn as tight as possible
the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach
the diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck.

Wearing Seat Belts When Pregnant
All pregnant women must wear seat belts by law when travelling in cars. This applies to both front and back seats and pregnancy does not in itself provide exemption from the law.

The safest way for pregnant women to wear a seat belt is to:

Place the diagonal strap between the breasts (over the breastbone) with the strap resting over the shoulder, not the neck.
Place the lap belt flat on the thighs, fitting comfortably beneath the enlarged abdomen, and over the pelvis not the bump.
The belt should be worn as tight as possible.

In this way the forces applied in an impact can be absorbed by the body's frame. It is not advisable to wear ‘Lap-Belts’ as opposed to lap and diagonal belts as they have been shown to cause grave injuries to unborn children in the event of sudden deceleration. Mother and unborn child are both safer in a collision if a lap and diagonal seat belt is being worn correctly.

Lap Belts
Although lap belts are not recommended for pregnant women, they are safe and suitable for other adult passengers. Three-point seat belts are best, but wearing a lap belt is far better than wearing no seat belt at all, because the greatest risk of injury to car occupants in an accident comes from being thrown about inside the vehicle or being ejected from it.

The lap belt should go over the pelvis (not the soft stomach area) and fit as tightly as possible. Most car manufacturers now fit at least some of their range with a three-point seat belt in the centre of the rear seat.

CHILD RESTRAINTS

RoSPA has a website, www.childcarseats.org.uk RoSPA has a website, www.childcarseats.org.uk, which provides advice on choosing, fitting and using child car restraints, details of legal requirements for using child restraints in other countries, links to manufacturers, retailers, and other organisations that can provide help or advice about child car restraints and a search facility to find local sources of help and information in your area.

Child restraints are divided into categories, according to the weight of the children for which they are suitable. These correspond broadly to different age groups, but it is the weight of the child that is most important when deciding what type of child restraint to use.

An appropriate child restraint is one which:

conforms to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44-03
is suitable for the child's weight and size
is correctly fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Retailers often describe child restraints in terms of 'Stages':

Stage 1 = Groups 0 and 0+
Stage 2 = Group 1
Stage 3 = Group 2
Stage 4 = Group 3

Some child restraints are capable of being converted as the child grows and, therefore, fit into more than one group or stage.

The main types are:

Rearward-facing Baby Seats
Group 0 for babies up to 10 kgs (22 lbs) roughly from birth to 6-9 months, or Group 0+ for babies up to 13kg (29lbs) roughly from birth to 12-15 months.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear. DO NOT put them in the front passenger seat if there is a passenger airbag. Rearward-facing seats provide greater protection for the baby's head, neck and spine than forward-facing seats. So, it is best to keep your baby in a rearward-facing seat for as long as possible.

Only move them to a forward-facing seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the baby seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.

Forward-facing child seat
Group 1 for children weighing 9-18 kgs (20-40 lbs) roughly from 9 months - 4 years.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.

Booster seat
Only move your child to a booster seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the child seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.

Group 2 for children weighing 15 - 25 kgs (33 - 55 lbs) roughly 4 to 6 years.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.

Some Booster seats are designed to be converted into a booster cushion by detaching the back rest.

Booster Cushion
Group 3: for children weighing 22 - 36 kgs (48 - 79 lbs) roughly from 6 - 11 years.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.

Booster seats and booster cushions do not have an integral harness to hold the child in place. The adult seat belt goes around the child and the seat. So it is important that the seat belt is correctly adjusted. The basic points to note are:

the belt should be worn as tight as possible
the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach
the diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck.

A SUMMARY OF THE MAIN LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR WEARING SEAT BELTS

	Front seat	Rear seat	Who is responsible?
Driver	Seat belt MUST be worn if available.		Driver
Children under 3 years old	Correct child restraint MUST be used.	Correct child restraint MUST be used If one is not available in a taxi, then the child may travel unrestrained in the rear	Driver
Children aged 3 and above, until they reach EITHER their 12th birthday OR 135cm in height	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 three scenarios: - in a in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle ; - for a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity; - two occupied child restraints prevent fitment of a third. In addition, 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, or 12 to 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

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

¹Road Casualties Great Britain: 2002’ The Stationery Office

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