The Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations 2006

Amendment of the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations 1993

16.—(1) In regulation 10 for paragraph (1) substitute—

“(1) The prohibitions in section 15(3) and (3A) of the Act do not apply in relation to—

(a) a child for whom there is a medical certificate;

(b) a small child aged under 3 years who is riding in a licensed taxi or licensed hire car, if no appropriate seat belt is available for him in the front or rear of the vehicle;

(c) a small child aged 3 years or more who is riding in a licensed taxi, a licensed hire car or a small bus and wearing an adult belt if an appropriate seat belt is not available for him in the front or rear of the vehicle;

(d) a small child aged 3 years or more who is wearing an adult belt and riding in a passenger car or light goods vehicle where the use of child restraints by the child occupants of two seats in the rear of the vehicle prevents the use of an appropriate seat belt for that child and no appropriate seat belt is available for him in the front of the vehicle;

(e) a small child who is riding in a vehicle being used for the purposes of the police, security or emergency services to enable the proper performance of their duty;

(f) a small child aged 3 years or more who is wearing an adult belt and who, because of an unexpected necessity, is travelling a short distance in a passenger car or light goods vehicle in which no appropriate seat belt is available for him; or

(g) a disabled child who is wearing a disabled person’s belt or whose disability makes it impracticable to wear a seat belt where a disabled person’s belt is unavailable to him.”.

(2) For paragraph (2) substitute—

“(2) The prohibition in section 15(3) of the Act does not apply in relation to a child aged under 3 years riding in a rear seat of a small bus.”.

(3) For paragraph (3) of that regulation substitute—

“(3) The prohibition in section 15(3) of the Act does not apply to a small child aged 3 years or more riding in a rear seat of a small bus if neither an appropriate seat belt nor an adult belt is available for him in the front or rear of the vehicle.

(3A) For the purposes of paragraph (3) of this regulation, a reference to an appropriate seat belt in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule 2 shall be read as including reference to an adult belt.”.

(4) After paragraph (4) of that regulation insert—

“(4A) The prohibition in section 15(3) of the Act does not apply to a child riding in a small bus—

(a) which is being used to provide a local service (within the meaning of the Transport Act 1985) in a built-up area, or

(b) which is constructed or adapted for the carriage of standing passengers and on which the operator permits standing.”.