Seat belts: the law

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1. Overview

You must wear a seat belt if one is fitted in the seat you鈥檙e using - there are only a few exceptions.

You鈥檙e also only allowed one person in each seat fitted with a seat belt.

You can be fined up to 拢500 if you do not wear a seat belt when you鈥檙e supposed to.

Children

You must make sure that any children in the vehicle you鈥檙e driving are:

  • in the correct car seat for their height or weight until they reach 135 centimetres tall or their 12th birthday, whichever is first
  • wearing a seat belt if they鈥檙e 12 or 13 years old, or younger and over 135cm tall

You can be fined up to 拢500 if a child under 14 is not in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt while you鈥檙e driving.

2. When you do not need to wear a seat belt

You do not need to wear a seat belt if you鈥檙e:

  • a driver who is reversing, or supervising a learner driver who is reversing
  • in a vehicle being used for police, fire and rescue services
  • a passenger in a trade vehicle and you鈥檙e investigating a fault
  • driving a goods vehicle on deliveries that is travelling no more than 50 metres between stops
  • a licensed taxi driver who is looking for customers either by being hailed in the street or by waiting at a taxi rank (known as 鈥榩lying for hire鈥�)
  • a licensed taxi driver or a driver of a private hire vehicle who is carrying passengers

Private hire vehicles include minicabs, chauffeur services or limousines.

Medical exemptions

Your doctor may say you do not have to wear a seat belt for a medical reason. They鈥檒l give you a 鈥楥ertificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing鈥�. You must:

  • keep this in your vehicle
  • show it to the police if you鈥檙e stopped

You鈥檒l also need to tell your car insurer.

Talk to your doctor for more information and read 鈥榤edical exemptions from compulsory seat belt wearing鈥�.

Wearing a seat belt while pregnant

You must wear a seat belt if you鈥檙e pregnant, unless your doctor says you do not have to for medical reasons.

Wearing a seat belt if you鈥檙e disabled

You must wear a seat belt if you鈥檙e a disabled driver or passenger, unless you do not have to for medical reasons. You may need to adapt your vehicle.

3. If your vehicle does not have seat belts

If your vehicle does not have seat belts, for example it鈥檚 a classic car, you are not allowed to carry any children under 3 years old in it.

Children over 3 are only allowed to sit in the back seats.

These rules only apply if your vehicle was originally made without seat belts.