BUCKLE UP
Horror smash footage from crash test shows what REALLY happens if you don’t wear a seat belt in the car – and we break down the laws surrounding belting up
A SHOCKING video shows the dramatic risk motorists are taking if they decide to drive without a seat belt.
Created in an attempt to warn Brits - mainly younger drivers - of the dangers, the footage compares the way three crash test dummies absorb a front-on impact.
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While the driver is strapped into his seat, cushioned by the front air bag, both the front and rear passengers are not wearing seat belts, and as a result they are subjected to a brutal collision.
Had it not been for the air bag, the front passenger would have been propelled through the windscreen, as the footage shows the dummy being flung significantly further forward than the driver.
But it is the rear passenger that suffers the most damage.
Without a seat belt, and no air bag to keep it secure, the dummy in the rear smashes forward into the back of the driver's seat, crushing its legs in the impact.
Created by Co-op Insurance, the video hopes to reduce the number of accidents among young drivers, after research revealed just over 40 per cent of young motorists had been involved in a road accident where they were the driver.
But aside from the risk of severe physical injury or death, what are the other penalties for not wearing a seat belt? And what does the law say about buckling up?
Read on to see our round up of seat belt law.
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Who in my car needs to wear a seat belt?
In the UK, all drivers and passengers must wear a seat belt if there is one fitted and available to them.
For all passengers under the age of 12, or below 135 cm tall, they must be restrained in the correct car seat for their height and weight.
Children taller than 135 cm do not require a car seat, but must be restrained with a seat belt.
If your car was originally made without seat belts and it does not have them fitted, you are not legally permitted to carry children under the age of three.
Any children between the ages of 3 and 14 must sit in the back seat of a car that does not have seat belts.
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What is the penalty if I choose not to?
Police can impose a fine of up to £500 if you don't wear a seat belt when you have one available to you.
Drivers can also be fined the same amount if a child under the age of 14 is travelling in their car without using the correct car seat or not wearing a seat belt.
For passengers 14 years old and over, you can personally be fined by police if you choose not to wear a seatbelt
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Are there any times I don't need to buckle up?
There are a handful of exemptions that will mean you can't be fined for not wearing a seatbelt.
UK law states you do not need to wear a seatbelt if you in one of the following scenarios:
- You are in an emergency services vehicle used by police, fire or rescue services
- You are driving a car that is reversing, or supervising a learner driver who is reversing
- You are a licensed taxi driver currently "plying for hire" or carrying passengers
- You are driving a goods vehicles making deliveries, and the vehicle travels no more than 50 metres between stops
In rare cases, a doctor may say you are exempt from wearing a seatbelt for medical reasons.
Regardless of whether your exemption is due to a non-permanent condition, pregnancy or a disability, you must carry a "Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing" at all times when travelling in your car, and show it to police if stopped.
Know your road laws
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