Seat belts and taxi drivers

[The big yin]

Was watching traffic cops recently and a courier was given a ticket for not wearing his seat belt,
fair enough but why do taxi drivers get away with no seat belt, It's not like they are in and out the vehicle all the time (well our local ones hardly ever get out to help elderly customers)
I think all drivers regardless of their job should use seat belts.
opinions please.

[Earthdweller]

To stop them being strangled by a passenger whilst wearing it

They are exempt only whilst a fare is onboard

Multi drop drivers are exempt if constantly stopping but hard to argue if on a motorway

[Tabs]

I retired 7 years ago, and was a private hire driver for the previous 25 years.
I always wore a seat belt, and my understanding was that we had to wear it when 'empty', but had the choice of not to when passengers were on board.
On one occasion I was attacked when the belt was pulled tight by a rear passenger, restricting my movements, and ending up crashing the car.
They ran off, leaving me with a write off to sort out etc.
Still wore the belt after that incident.

[irc]

These are the exemptions.

https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law/when-you-dont-ne...

Personsally I would abolish the law. The only person at risk is the person not wearing the belt. Their choice. When the law was brought in fataltiy rates increased for cyclists and pedestrians as drivers felt safer and took more risks.

Figure 1, all road accident deaths (excluding motor cyclists), shows that a well-established downward trend was interrupted (by the seat belt law?) and replaced by a slightly rising plateau. After the seat belt law (arrow) total deaths did not fall below the 1983 level until 1991.




https://john-adams.co.uk/2009/11/05/seat-belts-ano...

[Pachydermus]

irc said:

These are the exemptions.

https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law/when-you-dont-ne...

Personsally I would abolish the law. The only person at risk is the person not wearing the belt. Their choice. When the law was brought in fataltiy rates increased for cyclists and pedestrians as drivers felt safer and took more risks.

Figure 1, all road accident deaths (excluding motor cyclists), shows that a well-established downward trend was interrupted (by the seat belt law?) and replaced by a slightly rising plateau. After the seat belt law (arrow) total deaths did not fall below the 1983 level until 1991.




https://john-adams.co.uk/2009/11/05/seat-belts-ano...

that's clearly not true - anyone unbelted is going to be flying around the car potentially taking out everyone else.

[Earthdweller]

irc said:

lt

Personsally I would abolish the law. The only person at risk is the person not wearing the belt.

Mini cab/taxi driver's are at far more risk from their passengers than injury in a collision. Every week a number are assaulted/robbed by their fares

Likewise multi drop exemptions are sensible, likewise for emergency crews

Ambulance staff not able to attend to patients, fire crews not able to kit up en route to a fire, police not able to restrain violent prisoners etc

The law is sensible

[irc]

Pachydermus said:

that's clearly not true - anyone unbelted is going to be flying around the car potentially taking out everyone else.

Not when the driver has no passengers.

[Robertb]

Tabs said:

I retired 7 years ago, and was a private hire driver for the previous 25 years.
I always wore a seat belt, and my understanding was that we had to wear it when 'empty', but had the choice of not to when passengers were on board.
On one occasion I was attacked when the belt was pulled tight by a rear passenger, restricting my movements, and ending up crashing the car.
They ran off, leaving me with a write off to sort out etc.
Still wore the belt after that incident.

Good grief… what is the matter with people??
We know a lady who drives private hire… some of the stories she tells of male passengers are quite depressing.

[Pachydermus]

irc said:

Pachydermus said:

that's clearly not true - anyone unbelted is going to be flying around the car potentially taking out everyone else.

Not when the driver has no passengers.

you didn't say that, you said you want to abolish the seat belt law. So now you'd need to introduce a new one that says you have to wear a seat belt if there's more than 1 person in the vehicle.

[Radec]

Wouldn't the constant no belt ding warning drive you crazy or are they coded out on taxis?

[irc]

Not at all. I would have no law.

For what it's worth I worked for years in a job where I didn't need to wear one but chose to most of the time.

[Sixpackpert]

Radec said:

Wouldn't the constant no belt ding warning drive you crazy or are they coded out on taxis?

Clip it in and sit with belt behind you.

[Earthdweller]

irc said:

Not at all. I would have no law.

For what it's worth I worked for years in a job where I didn't need to wear one but chose to most of the time.

Indeed, unless the operational need outweighed the risk of not wearing a seatbelt