Seat-belts

[Qwerty133]

Before anyone starts on me, I am fully aware it is against the law not to wear seat-belts on coaches.
However does anyone ever check to make sure passengers are wearing their belts and more importantly have the police ever stopped a coach to do a seat belt check?
I'd have thought that by the time the coach has braked and police have got on board you would have had more than enough time to put the belt on. And as most coaches still use lap belts it would be impossible to see into the coach while it is moving to check if a passenger is wearing their belt.

 

[BestWestern]

I think common sense prevails and the passengers are left to their own devices!

 

[GaryMcEwan]

The last few times I've been on Citylink services, the drivers have made sure all passengers are wearing seatbelts due to Police Scotland Traffic Division pulling them over in recent times.

And aren't newer coaches fitted with 3 point seatbelts anyway these days?

 

[hassaanhc]

It was not enforced on the National Express service I used in January (Portsmouth-London) and on the Oxford Tube both ways in October.

 

[Titfield]

There are two obligations:
a) the passenger to wear a seat belt if provided
b) the operator of the vehicle to make passengers aware of the legal obligation for passengers to wear a seat belt.

Operators discharge their liability by:
1) make it an explicit term in the terms and conditions of (booking) and carriage
2) the placing of notices in the vehicle (either word or pictogram)
3) the making of announcements recorded or otherwise.
4) some operators place a notice on the ticket (either word of pictogram).

Some drivers walk up the aisle and check that passengers are belted in at the start of the journey.

If the operator had carried out the actions listed above then they would have discharged their liability.

As we all know from time to time passengers on coaches get up out of their seat and move up and down the aisle. If the police observe this they are likely to pull over the vehicle and take appropriate action.

If a driver observes a passenger walking up and down the aisle without good reason (ie to / from a toilet, or to advise the driver of a problem) then he / she must advise the passenger to return to their seat and use the seatbelt.

The other point is that they are safety belts and as such are the protection of the user.

 

[BestWestern]

Well how the hell can it be okay to walk up and down the aisle if you're off for a pee, but mortally dangerous for any other reason?! Does needing the lav make people temporarily immune to accident damage?

Jesus, what a load of crap we have to put up with these days...

 

[Blindtraveler]

Well how the hell can it be okay to walk up and down the aisle if you're off for a pee, but mortally dangerous for any other reason?! Does needing the lav make people temporarily immune to accident damage?

Jesus, what a load of crap we have to put up with these days...

agree totally! Il be honest, I rarely belt up on coaches but will always cooperate with instructions of staff when issued.↲

 

[34D]

As a driver, I usually leave adults to their own devices, but ensure children are wearing their belts (including on service buses that happen to be worked by belted buses)

 

[Titfield]

Of course at any time, when the vehicle is in motion, that a passenger is not wearing a belt there is more risk of injury than when wearing a belt.

The law in this case (like so many) is designed to reduce risk rather than eliminate it completely. It is a case of balancing risk versus the practicalities (and cost) of eliminating risk.

 

[edwin_m]

Similar to standing on the top deck. I've often wondered whether you are supposed to crawl to and from your seat to avoid standing up!

 

[starrymarkb]

Coming back from Heathrow on Friday the driver made an extra announcement that with very heavy traffic on the M4 and tendencies of car drivers to cut in front of the coach meant he was expecting heavy braking (and he was right when a BMW tried to dive from lane 3 to the sliproad at the Honda Roundabout)

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I've travelled by National Express, Megabus and by private operators around the UK and in Europe.

Most of the time the driver will make an announcement that passangers must wear their seatbelts. However, it's very rare for the driver to physically check this.

Having said that, I'm off on a coach tour in France and Belgium next week .... I'll have to see what happens!

 

[robertclark125]

Be aware that the law in Scotland is due to be tightened up on seatbelts for schools workings. You may be interested to know that on some local routes, an example being the Stagecoach East Scotland X42, because the route is registered in separate sections (also shown thus in the timetable), the wearing of seatbelts is not compulsory. I would think that as the City Connect services are registered in the same way, the weaing of seatbelts is not compulsory.

One mate who works for a coach operator here in Fife also tells me that seatbelts don't have to be worn by anyone, even the driver, when doing a private hire. Is this correct?

 

[Titfield]

It is my understanding that if a seat belt is fitted it has to be worn,