The Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2008 No. 29

Road Traffic And Vehicles

The Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Made

24th January 2008

Affirmed by resolution of the Assembly on

10th March 2008

Coming into operation

1st May 2008

The Department of the Environment makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 23(1) and (2) and 110(4) of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995(1).

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 1st May 2008.

(2) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993(2).

Amendment to regulation 2 (general interpretation)

2.  In regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations, for the definition of “the Driving Licences Regulations” substitute—

““the Driving Licences Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(3);”.

Amendment to regulation 6 (exceptions)

3.  In regulation 6(1) of the principal Regulations—

(a) for sub-paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) the driver of, or a passenger in, a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for carrying goods, while on a journey which does not exceed 50 metres and which is undertaken for the purpose of delivering or collecting any thing;”; and

(b) in sub-paragraph (d) for “regulation 8” substitute “regulation 11”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment on 24th January 2008.

Stanley Duncan

A senior officer of the

Department of the Environment

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 (“the 1993 Regulations”) require persons driving or riding in a motor vehicle to wear a seatbelt. This requirement is subject to a number of exceptions, including exceptions for the users of motor vehicles engaged in making local rounds of deliveries or collections of goods or mail and for “qualified drivers” supervising learner drivers performing manoeuvres which include reversing.

These Regulations amend the 1993 Regulations by—

(a)	amending the definition of “the Driving Licences Regulations” to refer to the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”);
(b)	substituting for the delivery drivers’ exception an exception for the driver of, or a passenger in, a goods vehicle while on a journey which does not exceed 50 metres and is undertaken for the purpose of delivery or collection; and
(c)	replacing the reference to regulation 8 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989 with a reference to regulation 11 of the 1996 Regulations which defines “qualified driver” differently.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been produced and may be obtained from the Department of the Environment website at www.roadsafetyni.gov.uk.

(1)

S.I. 1995/2994 (N.I. 18); see Article 2(2) for the definition of “the Department” and “prescribed”; Article 23 was amended by S.I. 2007/916 (N.I. 10), Article 26

(2)

S.R. 1993 No. 362; to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations

(3)

S.R. 1996 No. 542; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1999 No. 358