SEATBELT LAW - CAR SEAT BELT

Car Seat Belt Law in the UK

Car Seat Belt Law was enacted in 1983. Car Seatbelt Law states that anyone riding in a motor vehicle outfitted with a seat belt must wear that seatbelt. Drivers have a responsibility to ensure that each of their passengers is wearing a seat belt. Fulfilling this responsibility is particularly important with regard to passengers under the age of fourteen.

If the driver fails to ensure that a child passenger is wearing a seat belt, and if that driver is subsequently involved in a car accident, an injured child passenger may bring a claim for compensation. The child passenger is entitled to bring this personal injury compensation claim even if the driver of the vehicle is their parent.

Child passengers under the age of three who are riding in the front seat must be in an appropriate car safety seat or other child restraint. The use of an adult seat belt for a child below the age of three is illegal under the Car Seat Belt Law. If the child restraints are outfitted in the front of the vehicle only, and none are in the rear, the front seat belts must be used. These same requirements apply to children who are both between the ages of three and eleven and are also less than 1.5 meters in height.

Vehicles Covered by the Car Seat Belt Law

All vehicles which have seatbelts installed in the front seats are covered by the Car Seat Belt Law. Cars and minibuses with a maximum unladen weight of 2540 kilograms are covered. In fact, virtually all types of vehicles fall under the mandates of the law, including buses, vans, coaches and vehicles carrying goods. Other vehicles which have rear seats outfitted with seat belts are also covered by the law.

Since 1967, the law has required that all cars in the UK have seatbelts outfitted in the front seat. In 1987, this requirement was expanded to include rear seats. The law was expanded once again in 1996 when it was mandated that large vehicles used to transport children, such as buses, be outfitted with seat belts. As a result of these laws, virtually all vehicles on the road have seat belts. It is important to keep in mind that injury compensation awards are greatly reduced if the victim was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

Installing Child Restraints

Child restraints should always be installed by a professional. Research has shown that approximately 70% of child safety seats and restraints are fitted improperly, the wrong type for the vehicle or used incorrectly. An improperly installed restraint could lead to serious injuries to a child should you be involved in a car accident.

No Win No Fee Compensation Claims

If you have suffered personal injury in a vehicle collision you should consult a solicitor as soon as possible. In order to make a compensation claim the accident must have occurred within the last three years and have been caused as a result of negligence by another person. In the event that you were not wearing a seat belt when you should have been wearing one it is likely that a judge will reduce the amount of damages awarded by as much as 25% unless it can be absolutely proved that wearing a seat belt would have made no difference to the injury that was sustained. Many solicitors offer a no win no fee service which minimises the individual’s financial risk however the no win no fee scheme offered by this firm goes much further and can be summed up as 'win or lose no charge - compensation paid in full'. If you use our claims service there is no financial risk whatsoever and you are paid 100% of your compensation with no deductions.