I was wondering how many drivers here wear a seat belt and how many don’t?
Personally I wouldn’t drive 50 yards without one, but I’ve been using the unit allocated to “God’s-gift-to-truck-driving” this week and he obviously doesn’t use it, as the buckle is always stuffed down behind the back of the seat when I get in…
Anyone know what the law is on wearing a seat belt in a truck? Or what VOSA would say if you were pulled up without one?
Just wondering really. If “God’s-gift-to-truck-driving” was on fire I wouldn’t waste pi55 on him, so it doesn’t bother me if he does or doesn’t…
Always, always wear one, but from the security gate to the allocated bay and vise versa I don’t but really I should because some of these rdc’s are huge nowadays and anything could still pull out in front like a shunter doing his last shunt of the shift.
Never used to till I got a new scania and kept forgetting to slip the belt behind the seat and clip it in to stop the incessant bonging! Then just got into a habit of wearing it and now never go anywhere without it on.
i did a shift for a company the other day where you have to wear it pulling up to the gatehouse. unclip it to put the tag on the reader to open the gate and then put it back on to enter the yard. if you don’t and are caught by jobsworth, your escorted off site never to return. .
won’t name the company as its a doddle job and easy money
I always wear one. Two lorries having a head on at only 20mph is going to send an unstrapped driver through the windscreen (or out the side window if it happens like the above video )
Am I within my rights to refuse to drive one of our older vehicles that aren’t fitted with belts?
Got a personal bias about this though. I was a passenger in a car crash a few years back where 3 people died. Myself and the other survivor were wearing seatbelts. The others weren’t.
Always worn one in a car. Not worth £30 fine or glass in the face.
In the truck I don’t feel right unless I’m wearing the seatbelt. Habit.
I heard of a skip driver who went under a railway bridge in Ipswich with his forks up. Struck the bridge which has four lines on it and shot through the windscreen to land on the road in front! That bridge isn’t moving for anybody.
You don’t need to wear a seat belt if you’re:
-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’re 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 ‘plying for hire’ or carrying passengers
Tell yeah what you would at my company no end of people to shop you in if you don’t!! Worse case ive ever heard was a driver on the A91 and a manger from a factory we got to - reported him, sad life or what. Then you’ve got the bridge brigade they set up on a bridge above a motorway stretch and do seatbelt audits but not just our fleet everybodys fleet to see how we compare. So if you see a set of binoculars on you probably some daft idiot from my company.
Seatbelt law as far as i know is that you must wear one, exceptions include taxi drivers, drivers that stop every few metres ie binmen and people with a health reason. Dont think you get points but you get a 60 quid fine.
Is it a generation thing? Older drivers who were used to driving without seatbelts until it became law (in the 80’s was it?) still see it as optional and their right to choose not to? Certainly the case where I work. The over 40’s are the ones least likely to wear a seatbelt. BBC One - Traffic Cops, Series 8, Crossing the Line … 2min 50sec example of an over 40 objecting to wearing a seatbelt. 5min 30sec “I’ll AVE you!!!”
It’s like the ban on using a mobile whilst driving. The ban came in after my generation had started driving and I see lots of my generation using their phone. Have to admit I do it myself and don’t see much wrong with it as long as you are prepared to interrupt a conversation when two hands are needed, but that’s only because the ban came in after I had started driving. Texting and driving though … that really is a hazard.
EastAnglianTrucker:
Anyone know what the law is on wearing a seat belt in a truck? Or what VOSA would say if you were pulled up without one?
Yep, if it’s fitted it must be worn basically
A driver from my old place got a ticket, just a fine IIRC, after being photographed by one of those plain Smart cars with cameras.
On modern trucks the seat belt is an integral part of the whole design of the drivers safety cell. Not using it makes the rest of the equipment i.e. airbags etc pointless and potentially even dangerous.
There’s also the issue of voiding any personal injury claims if you weren’t wearing it
I worked for 7 years before being a truck driver doing Accident Recovery and ive seen some sights in my day and it all depends how the accident happens… Ive seen people killed because they had a seat belt on and ive seen them killed because they didnt… The worst 1 i saw was a young guy that was in his car and got side swiped by a truck and it litterely tore the side out his car, he had his belt on and well Im sure i dont need to say what happened to him but hes no longer with us…
webby08:
I worked for 7 years before being a truck driver doing Accident Recovery and ive seen some sights in my day and it all depends how the accident happens… Ive seen people killed because they had a seat belt on and ive seen them killed because they didnt… The worst 1 i saw was a young guy that was in his car and got side swiped by a truck and it litterely tore the side out his car, he had his belt on and well Im sure i dont need to say what happened to him but hes no longer with us…
Me personally i dont and wont wear 1…
I’m going to take the advice you give in your signature!
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