From Tuesday 1 March the change means it will be compulsory for drivers and passengers in vehicles constructed or adapted to carry goods to belt up when making deliveries or collections if they travel over 50m. Fifty metres is roughly the width of an average football pitch.
The Department for Transport estimates that if seatbelt wearing in these vehicles is brought up to the level seen in cars, then this change could prevent some 20 deaths, 240 serious casualties and 1,000 slight injuries annually.
Currently goods vehicle users are exempt from wearing a seatbelt when making local rounds of deliveries or collections. However, some van and goods vehicle users wrongly consider themselves exempt whatever distance they're travelling. The law is being amended to make it clear that the exemption applies only over a short distance.
Road Safety Minister David Jamieson said:
"Following consultation, we decided that 50m was a reasonable distance to travel without wearing a seatbelt when undertaking deliveries or collections. Those carrying out genuine house-to-housecalls will not be affected by the change.
"Making the law on this issue clear will help us bring down the number of delivery drivers risking injury by not wearing a seatbelt."
Wearing rates for van drivers are particularly poor with 30% of drivers and 43% of their passengers failing to belt up. The wearing rate for car drivers is much higher at 93 per cent, and 94% for front passengers.
