Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Motoring
  3. Road safety
  4. Seat belts
Road safety - your roads, your safety, your responsibility

Wearing a seat belt and exemptions

The law states that you must use a seat belt if fitted unless you qualify for a medical exemption and have the certificate to prove it. You should know how to properly use a seat belt, child restraint, car seat or booster seat.

The law - seat belts and child restraints

The law requires that drivers and passengers aged 14 and over in cars, vans and other commercial vehicles must wear a seatbelt, if available. As a driver you are responsible for making sure that anyone under the age of 14 wears a seat belt or uses the right child restraint as required by law.

Seat belts and child restraints Front seat Rear seat Who is responsible?
Driver Seat belt must be worn if fitted   Driver
Child under three The right child restraint must be used The right child restraint must be used. If one is not available in a taxi, may travel unrestrained Driver
Child from third birthday up to 135cm in height (or 12th birthday, whichever they reach first) The right child restraint must be used

The right child restraint must be used where seat belts are fitted. Must use adult belt in a rear seat if the right child restraint not available:

  • in a taxi
  • for a short distance in an unexpected necessity
  • if two occupied child restraints prevent fitting a third
Driver
Child 12 or 13, or over 135cm in height Seat belt (or child restraint) must be worn if fitted Seat belt (or child restraint) must be worn if fitted Driver
All passengers 14 and over Seat belt must be worn if fitted Seat belt must be worn if fitted Passenger

The right use of seat belts and child restraints

Taking a few moments to use a seat belt properly or fit a child restraint could help save lives and reduce injuries if a collision were to happen. Find out more about the law and your responsibilities as a driver on the link below.

  • Child car seats

Wearing a seat belt on a minibus, bus or coach

If you are travelling in a minibus you must wear a seat belt if one is fitted (or a child restraint if available).

On a bus or coach you should always wear a seat belt if one is fitted. If you are aged 14 or over, the law states that you must wear a seat belt if fitted.

The responsibility for making sure that the regulations which require children aged three to 13 years to use seat belts (or child restraints if available) are applied on buses and coaches is currently being considered.

You may be guilty of an offence if you permit (either as the driver of the van or the owner/ employer) passengers to be carried in an unsafe way in the rear of a goods vehicle.

Exemptions

There are some exemptions from wearing a seat belt. There is no legal requirement to wear a seat belt if you’re:

  • a driver who is reversing, or supervising a learner driver who is reversing
  • driving a goods vehicle, on deliveries, that is travelling no more than 50 metres between stops
  • a licensed taxi driver who is ‘plying for hire’ or carrying passengers

You may be exempted from wearing a seat belt on medical grounds. In such circumstances your doctor may issue a 'Certificate of Exemption' if he or she decides that it is not suitable for you to wear a seat belt on medical grounds. This must be produced if the police ask you for it. You can find more details at the link below:

  • Medical exemptions from wearing a seat belt

Wearing a seat belt while pregnant

You must wear a seat belt if you are pregnant unless your doctor certifies that you are free from wearing it on medical grounds. You will need to produce your certificate if the police ask you for it. Bear in mind that it is often a greater risk to travel without a seat belt than to wear it in such circumstances and wearing your seat belt safely will help protect you and your unborn child.

You’ll need to take extra care adjusting your seat belt. You'll be safer and more comfortable if you wear the:

  • diagonal strap between your breasts, moving it around the side of your bump
  • lap strap as low as possible across your hips and under your bump – if it goes over your belly button, it's too high

If you’re driving and need to make room for your bump, don’t put your seat where you can’t reach the clutch, brake and accelerator. This could affect your reaction times when driving. If you move the seat check your mirrors are still in the right place.

Penalties for not wearing a seat belt

As a driver you may get a fine of £500 and three penalty points for not wearing your seat belt. If you are carrying a child under 14 without the proper restraint you are liable for a fine of £500 and three penalty points.

For passengers 14 years old and over, it is their own responsibility to make sure that they wear a seat belt if there is one available. As a passenger you may get a fine of £500 for not wearing a seat belt and can be awarded two penalty points.

More useful links

  • The Highway Code
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Seat belts

  • Child car seats, restraints and seat belts
  • Wearing a seat belt and exemptions

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS