Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993

PART I INTRODUCTION

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 and shall come into operation on 1st October 1993.

General interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Construction and Use Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989(1);

“the Driving Licences Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989(2);

“medical certificate” has the meaning given in Schedule 1;

“member State” means a State which is a member of the European Economic Community;

“motor car” has the meaning given by regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“the Order” means the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981;

“rear seat” in relation to a vehicle means a seat not being the driver's seat, nor a seat alongside the driver's seat nor a specified passenger's seat;

“restraint system” means a system combining a seat fixed to the structure of the vehicle by appropriate means and a safety belt for which at least one anchorage point is located on the seat structure;

“seat belt” except in this regulation, includes a child restraint and references to wearing a seat belt shall be construed accordingly;

“trade licence” has the same meaning as in section 38(1) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971(3);

"disabled person's belt“, ”lap belt“, ”seat“, ”specified passenger's seat“and ”three-point belt" have the meanings given by regulation 47(9) of the Construction and Use Regulations.

(2) In these Regulations—

“child” means a 'person under the age of 14 years;

“large child” means a child who is not a small child; and

“small child” means a child who is—

(a)

aged under 12 years; and

(b)

under 150 centimetres in height.

(3) In these Regulations, “adult belt” means a seat belt in respect of which one or more of the following requirements is satisfied, namely that—

(a) it is a three-point belt which has been marked in accordance with regulation 47(8) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

(b) it is a lap belt which has been so marked;

(c) it is a seat belt that falls within regulation 47(5)(c)(i) or (ii) of those Regulations(4);

(d) it is a seat belt fitted in a relevant vehicle (“the vehicle in question”) and comprised in a restraint system—

(i) of a type which has been approved by an authority of another member State for use by all persons who are either aged 13 years or more or are 150 centimetres or more in height, and

(ii) in respect of which, by virtue of such approval, the requirements of the law of another member State corresponding to these Regulations would be met were it to be worn by persons who are either aged 13 years or more or are 150 centimetres or more in height when travelling in the vehicle in question in that State.

(4) In these Regulations, “child restraint” means a seat belt or other device in respect of which the following requirements are satisfied, namely that—

(a) it is a seat belt or any other description of restraining device for the use of a child which is—

(i) designed either to be fitted directly to a suitable anchorage or to be used in conjunction with an adult seat belt and held in place by the restraining action of that belt, and

(ii) marked in accordance with regulation 47(8) of the Construction and Use Regulations; or

(b) it is a seat belt consisting of or comprised in a restraint system fitted in a relevant vehicle (“the vehicle in question”), being a restraint system—

(i) of a type which has been approved by an authority of another member State for use by a child, and

(ii) in respect of which, by virtue of such approval, the requirements of the law of that State corresponding to these Regulations would be met were it to be worn by a child when travelling in the vehicle in question in that State.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), for the purposes of these Regulations, a seat shall be regarded as provided with an adult seat belt if it is fixed in such a position that it can be worn by an occupier of that seat.

(6) A seat shall not be regarded as provided with an adult seat belt if the seat belt—

(a) has an inertia reel mechanism which is locked as a result of the vehicle being, or having been, on a steep incline, or

(b) does not comply with the requirements of regulation 48 of the Construction and Use Regulations.

(7) For the purposes of these Regulations, a seat belt is appropriate—

(a) in relation to a child aged under 3 years, if it is of a description prescribed for a child of his height and weight by regulation 8;

(b) in relation to a child aged 3 years or more, if it is a child restraint of a description prescribed for a child of his height and weight by regulation 8 or is an adult belt; or

(c) in relation to a person aged 14 years or more, if it is an adult belt.

(8) For the purposes of these Regulations, any reference to a seat belt being available shall be construed in accordance with Schedule 2.

Interpretation of references to relevant vehicles

3.—(1) In these Regulations, “ relevant vehicle” means—

(a) a passenger car,

(b) a light goods vehicle, or

(c) a small bus.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation—

“light goods vehicle” means a goods vehicle which—

(a)

has 4 or more wheels,

(b)

has a maximum design speed exceeding 25 kilometres per hour, and

(c)

has a maximum laden weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes; and

“small bus” means a motor vehicle which—

(a)

is constructed or adapted for use for the carriage of passengers and is not a goods vehicle,

(b)

has more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat,

(c)

has 4 or more wheels,

(d)

has a maximum design speed exceeding 25 kilometres per hour,

(e)

has a maximum laden weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes, and

(f)

is not constructed or adapted for the carriage of standing passengers.

(1)

S.R. 1989 No. 299; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1991 No. 147 and 1992 No. 111

(2)

S.R. 1989 No. 238; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1990 No. 311, 1990 No. 412, 1992 No. 315

(3)

1971 c. 10

(4)

Reg. 47(5)(c)(ii) was amended by S.R. 1991 No. 147 reg. 2(3)