Belt up !!

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I was reading an article in T&D that basically says that truck seatbelts are going to be come part of the annual test.

I then began to wonder how many of us actually use our seat belts in the truck??..i know the last place i worked i didn’t see anyone wearing them :confused: :confused:

In the car its an automatic action,i just get in and belt up…but not in the truck,also i was pulled by VOSA a couple of months back and wasn’t wearing a belt but they basically weighed the truck (50 kg underweight… :wink: …phew) and sent me on my way :smiley: :smiley:

So do you or dont you or has anyone been done for not wearing one??

Scan

2

Always wear mine, without fail.

I dont understand why some dont, with some of the idiots on the road these days.

If there’s one fitted you might as well wear it.

3

If theres one fitted, I will wear it.
If involved in an accident, the insurance payout can and will be affected by the fact you were not wearing a seatbelt.

Already noted on these boards, it is not compulsory to wear a seatbelt if there isn’t one fitted.

4

I have been done in France for not wearing one, and I dont wear one now as they are too uncomfortable. My Renault used to cut into my neck and the Volvo isnt much better.

At least in the car I can adjust the height of the mounting plate

5

never used to wear them in car or lorry.
now i wear it in car all the time. result of seeing to many nasty crashes and old age. still no for in lorry though. :wink:

6

Dratsabasti:
Already noted on these boards, it is not compulsory to wear a seatbelt if there isn’t one fitted.

Hmmmm!!! Bit difficult to wear it if it isn’t fitted. :laughing:

However the book says that if it is fitted you are committing an offence if you do not wear it and can be fined for said offence. £25 I believe but could be more by now.

7

Willy Gofar:

Dratsabasti:
Already noted on these boards, it is not compulsory to wear a seatbelt if there isn’t one fitted.

Hmmmm!!! Bit difficult to wear it if it isn’t fitted. :laughing:

Dratsabasti was referring to an old long standing TruckNet joke Willy. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

I always wear mine, don’t even think about it it is as natural to wear it in the truck as in a car. I find the ones fitted into the seats quite comfortable.

I can understand that some choose not to wear it and that is there choice, they have decided they are happy to run whatever the risk may be. What I don’t understand are the ones that say they only wear it if the weather is bad. :confused: :confused: By saying that they are acknowledging there is a benefit to wearing the belt, in which case why not just wear it all the time? I guess they think there is more chance of being involved in an accident in bad weather. At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, accidents can happen at any time, at any speed and in any weather conditions, so if someone thinks the belt is a good thing in an accident why not just wear it regardless of the weather?

Mind you I think that seat belts should be removed from all vehicles and replaced with a sharp steel spike pointing directly at the drivers chest from the centre of the steering wheel. I think it would be a wonderful aid to concentrate the driver’s mind and would cure a lot of the crazy antics we witness on a daily basis.

8

when i had my class one test just under 3 years ago i didn’t wear my belt the truck was fitted with them but nothing was ever said during my test and i passed within the same year i passed a friend of mine got pulled in bristol and was fined 30 quid. when did the seat belt law for trucks actualy kick in?

sorry just rememberd my instructer gave me the choice wether to wear the belt of not. this was in 2003

9

530power:
sorry just rememberd my instructer gave me the choice wether to wear the belt of not. this was in 2003

My instructor told me the same (test in 2002) and added that the “examiner wouldn’t wear his”, which was turned out to be correct. I decided to wear it as to not have would still have been an offence regardless of it being a driving test or not.

10

Coffeeholic:
Mind you I think that seat belts should be removed from all vehicles and replaced with a sharp steel spike pointing directly at the drivers chest from the centre of the steering wheel. I think it would be a wonderful aid to concentrate the driver’s mind and would cure a lot of the crazy antics we witness on a daily basis.

lol. It certainly would make people think a little more. :laughing:

11

When I stopped driving 10 years ago trucks didnt have them, when I recently came back I thought I would never get the hang of driving a truck with them. But its second nature now and I do feel safer wearing one.
Phil

12

car always and forever…truck if its windy and got the wobbles

13

I wear one all the time. After my little 'un came along (4 years ago) I went through quite a period of concentrating the mind on all sorts of ‘being careful’ and thinking safer, both at work and at home. :confused:

14

Driving a car I always wear one. In the Taxi I never do(we are exempt) I know it doesn’t make sense,but there you go.

15

car allways, truck if i feel like it.

16

most of the time in the car but only in france in the truck (due to the seatbelt spotters gendarmerie), i sometimes put it on if the wind is fierce due to the risk of being blown over etc.
i find that it makes my bladder behave funny and i require a stop after just a few hours and sometimes less, it also restricts my bobbing!
now bobbing is that thing you do when you think there is some lunatic car driver that despite the fact there is nobody else in front of them insist on sitting right by the side of your passenger door in your blind spot even though they can see your indicator flashing and that you are quickly catching up with that unimog on the autobahnn, bobbing - bouncing up and down in the drivers seat so you can get a better view of the blind spot area.

17

Wheel Nut:
I have been done in France for not wearing one, and I dont wear one now as they are too uncomfortable. My Renault used to cut into my neck and the Volvo isnt much better.

At least in the car I can adjust the height of the mounting plate

I got done in France too (90 euro fine). Always wore one since then.
Theres nothing like having to part with cash to make you see sense and start doing something thats as simple as buckleing up.

18

I always wear mine now although at first i was reluctant to do so…i was told by an irish company driver a while ago that he was exempt because the seat belt was actually fitted to the seat…so it depends on where the anchor points are as whether you will be nicked or not…but i wouldnt like to put it to the test…in france they are hot on the seat belt law…and actually prosecuted someone because they wasnt wearing a belt…when pulling away from the peage after getting their ticket…so i usually hold up the queue whilst putting my belt back on, there was also a case of a driver being nicked while leaving the engine running, and getting a peage ticket …seems you cant win in france…

19

Always wear it, in car and truck. I never used to, It has only been the last 18 months that I do, mainly because they have now become alot more comfortable to wear. the ones that used to just be anchored to the cab rather then the seat were designed by a sadist!!!

20

…i was told by an irish company driver a while ago that he was exempt because the seat belt was actually fitted to the seat…so it depends on where the anchor points are as whether you will be nicked or not…

The time i was pulled by VOSA i was driving a DAF with the seat belt built into the seat,i wonder if thats why i didn’t get booked… :confused: :confused: