Wearing seat belts?

Question

I understand that there are some exemptions, such as lorry drivers etc. Do the police have this exemption? Have seen numerous that don't wear them.
Also seen them on the radio, yet we can't use mobiles!
Anyone know the ruling on this?

Bowser? Woof, woof! I know! Read the question. Lorry drivers are exempt!

Nice one, Jude

Penny4themnow!
Just a query. Sold my car 2 years ago! Don't need it here in London.

Answer 1

The seat belt laws are fairly complex, the best thing to do is check with DVLA. Lorry drivers are certainly not exempt, unless they are doing muliple deliveries in the same area, if they then go to another area they must wear a seat belt, sorry to shatter bowsers illusion but i had to retire from lorry driving 4 years ago, due to ill heath, but i do have an IQ of 137, so please do not say we are lacking intelligence. police are exempt in certain circumstances, but on the whole, they should wear them

Answer 2

Police Officers are exempt from wearing seat belts when transporting prisoners, best practice states they should be worn at other times. They are also allowed to use their radios whilst driving as they (the radios) are exempted because they are two way radios. Transmissions from the Officer are usually a matter of seconds, before full concentration (and control) is resumed to the road. Hand held mobile phone usage is illegal as it requires the driver to continuously have one hand off the steering wheel throughout the conversation, thus reducing control (this includes holding it between your ear and shoulder!!) Total hands free usage is legal, it is merely the holding of the handset that makes the usage illegal. To use the handset legally, it should ideally have a permanent mounting within the vehicle from which it can then be used handsfree, eg, earpiece, bluetooth connection, etc. However, hands-free phones are still distracting and you still risk prosecution for failing to have proper control of a vehicle under different road traffic related legislation. If there is an incident, the use of any phone or similar device might justify charges of careless or dangerous driving. The only exemption to using a hand held phone is an emergency 999 call - but don't use this as an excuse if you get caught as they're all logged and can be checked instantly!!!!

Answer 3

I don't wear my seatbelt... EVER... I'm not exempt, as if I were, I wouldn't keep getting fined, and I always use my mobile, and sometimes even email on BlackBerry while moving... so what's your bloody point, you anal great flipping law abiding citizen....

Just because you don't have a car and can stroll along in your own little world making calls, leave us and the Police alone to not wear our seatbelts and be distracted while driving.... now if the bloody pedestrians would just stay indoors then we wouldn't have to worry about hitting them and all of these silly laws can be relaxed....

and I think you'll find that lorry drivers do have to legally wear seatbelts, and it's taxi drivers that don't.

Answer 4

Yep, police officers DO NOT have to wear seat belts whilst on duty and in the execution of their duty.

I however wear mine MOST of the time - it is safer - I am less likely to die or be seriously injured and cost the tax payers and the NHS huge amounts of money treating me for an injury that is essentially my fault.

The radios that police officers use ARE NOT HAND HELD devices. They are normally clipped to their uniform. There are in many vehicles also hands free kits.

However, if you had reason to call 999 and required an immediate response, would you be happy if the police officers responding came a little late as they were unable to find somewhere safe to pull over to take a call on their radio?

And Ellie - don't know where you live but not wearing a seat belt and continuing to use a handheld mobile, must be costing you a fortune - do you have more money than sense?

Answer 5

Police "good practice" is that they "should" wear seatbelts, but they come under the same legislation as multidrop drivers, ie paper delivery, milkmen/women - basically, anyone that drives and stops frequently doesn't have to wear a seatbelt.

As above, mobiles can be used for emergency (999) calls, whilst driving and Police radios come under that heading. They are used for emergency purposes and are therefore exempt.

Answer 6

The regulation in Australia states that the driving force is in charge for the secure practices of all occupants, which contain that of wearing seat belts. while you're pulled over by skill of the police and that they are not, then no longer do exactly they get a great, the driving force additionally does. So in short confident.

Answer 7

Taxi Drivers are also allowed NOT to wear seatbealts, as a classic case, when a passanger in the back seat used a seatbelt ( which was equipped at the time ) to strangle the taxi driver to death, because he didn't want to pay the fine, and these sorts of cases happend around the country ( UK). ill find one case for you now.
Hense taxi drivers are exempt from belts.

Answer 8

Did you know that each year more cops die from car crashes than from guns or knives or grenades?

Seat belts do save lives.
Cops sometimes don't wear a seatbelt because they may have to exit the vehicle super quickly. I wear my seatbelt though, even when I am in my patrol car.

Once I had to go into foot pursuit, and when I got out of the car, I forgot to take off my seatbelt.
It's kind of embarrassing, you just hang out of the car upside down while the car keeps rolling forward.

The radio is of course something that we need. We must always keep in contact with dispatch, so yes we do talk while we drive.

I say wearing seatbelts is very important. Do it.

Answer 9

Seat belts are a necessity. Lorry drivers just don't wear seat belts because they are not very intelligent. When in an autogyro, it is good always to wear a seat belt, because the vehicle might colide with something.

You're not supposed to take on your mobile phone whilst driving. It is dangerous.

Answer 10

Yeah...they are exempt...so are hackney drivers if they've got a fare. Even though I am exempt...I still wear mine.

Awww diddums.....you heard of the saying..do as I say....not as I do??lol Only joking!

All new police vehicles are already kitted out with hands free....some of the older cars ain't.

I suppose if you needed urgent police assistance...you'd prefer them to get there ASAP....or would you prefer them to drive another mile down the road.....pull in..and then answer the radio.....then turn around....and compromise response time????

Looks like sour grapes to me...bet you got a fixer for not having a seat belt..and for using your mobile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol