Seat Belt Exemption

[Bob906]

Can anyone stop an argument, if a person is exempt from wearing a seat belt on medical grounds and has a certificate to say so, does that person if he gets stopped by the police, have to tell what the medical grounds are.

I say they don't because it is between you and your doctor what your medical condition is.

Does anyone agree/disagree?

[cazzz1975]

The police have to uphold the law on the road, if there is no obvious reason then I cant see what's wrong with asking for the details of your exemption.

[murraymints]

I think if you can show a GP letter /certificate empowering exemption that ought to suffice

[ummmm]

What would medically make you exempt from wearing a seat belt?

[Baldric]

If you have an exemption certificate that should be enough, the Police are not Medically qualified, your Doctors opinion (certificate) is what matters.

[cazzz1975]

my neighbour was morbidly obese she couldn't get a belt around her so was exempt

[Bob906]

Thank you murraymints

ummmm there are medical reasons for not wearing a belt i.e. if a woman is pregnant is 1 having a stoma is another.

[ummmm]

I never knew that. Everyday's a school day...

[murraymints]

there is no definitive list of such medical conditions..it is up to the GP ..perhaps if belt will affect recent surgery site..stitches etc..and perhaps bad hernia ?

[murraymints]

stoma is a good reason..but it is very much up to the GP..I doubt a plod will want to know !

[EDDIE51]

You have to have a certificate from your doctor that allows you to drive without a seat belt. This has to be produced to the police when they stop you, so you have to have it with you all the time, the guy across the road from me drives without a seat belt and get stopped a lot. He always has to carry the certificate with him. The certificate does not give the reason , it just says he is allowed to drive without a belt due to medical problems.

[Bob906]

Thank you all, I think I have won the argument.

[alavahalf]

Bob .. I used to get stopped on a regular basis. In fact it got so bad that I obtained the Law about seat belts and exemption and had it laminated to carry with me at all times.
The law stated that only three types of person were allowed not to wear a seatbelt.
1 .. a person reversing a vehicle
2 .. a person in possession of an exemption certificate
3 .. a roundsperson

I wont go into it but I challenged the Police over it and was going to court with them. They backed down on the day of the court case... I lodged my costs with the court and got my expenses ... not for the first time !

[murraymints]

woo hoo !

[Bob906]

Thank you alavahalf I take it then you have a exemption certificate.

[murraymints]

go on alava ..spill ! ..thought you were off to get ne some tomatoes ? LOL

[hc4361]

Pregnancy does not automatically entitle a woman to the exemption certificate.

[penelope2]

alavahalf: Had to read your exemption list twice, I thought it said ROUNDperson. Lol. If that were the case half the british population would be exempt.

[murraymints]

But if she were very big ...had previous section scars...perhaps

[SirOracle]

You forgot to add Taxi drivers to your list of people with exemptions in having to wear seat belts.....so I don't know where you obtained your "law list" from.

[alavahalf]

Wrong Bob .. a roundsperson is someone who leaves base and does more than 2 deliveries before returning to base.
At the time I was a S/E courier and a normal morning was about 100+ calls.
When the COC advised the Police they just dropped it and paid.

And your right Pen .. most people aren't aware of it. But it is what I challenged the Police on ... When I produced the law in a laminated folder most police officers would look at it and dismiss it. I then produced case numbers and names of others who had challenged it. They usually went on to examine my van for faults .. in great detail.

Sorry it takes so long to give a reply but my browser keeps freezing.

mm .. someone has borrowed my car so I am now grounded !