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Health & Safety News Brief
Occupational Health & Safety Information Service
EU seat belt rules extended to coaches, lorries, mini-buses
 New European Union (EU) rules on wearing seat belts came into force on 9 May 2006.
Wearing seat belts will be compulsory in all EU member states for drivers and passengers on tourist coaches, lorries and mini buses where seat belts are fitted.
The new rules also require specially adapted seat belts to protect children.
Existing European legislation requires passengers to wear seat belts in vehicles below 3.5 tonnes.
Larger vehicles will now be covered too.
In the UK, 3,368 people were killed on the roads in 2004.
Failure to use seat belts is the second biggest cause of road deaths after speeding. Drink-driving comes third.
A European Commission study concluded that using seat belts could save 5,500 lives a year across the EU.
Jacques Barrot, European Commissioner for transport, said: “This measure will save thousands of lives. It will help us to meet the target of halving the number of deaths on the European roads by 2010 compared with the figure of 50,000 in 2001”. [IP/06/583]
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