Does everyone have to wear a seat belt?

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SoylentGreen

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In Stillorgan recently a motorist with a child in the back seat of the car decided to take the lane of traffic with the short queue and when she got to the top barged her way into the other lane, skipping all the other cars who had been queuing. This was a few cars ahead of me.
I eventually ended up behind her in traffic. I noticed that the child, aged about 4 or 5 years old was moving around the back seat and standing between the two front seats of the car. Rightly or wrongly I decided to comment to the driver that the child should have her seat belt on. The driver turned to me and snarled that the child was profoundly disabled.
I was taken aback by this. The child was not physically disabled but may have had some mental disability. I didn't know and I felt bad for raising the issue with the child's mother.
As the driver drove off she gave me two fingers. My question is. Do people with a disability have to wear seat belts in cars?
 
Yes, everyone has to wear a seatbelt unless they are physically unable to (which doesn't sound like the case) or in the case of a wheelchair user, some chairs have their own belt, it depends on the wheelchair / car configuration. (My brother is severely disabled and we would NEVER drive him without being belted in even though he may hit out and pull at it and clearly doesn't want it, it would be worse than neglect to let him say no)

Sounds like a shameless attempt by the mother just to tell you to where to go, so disgraceful, I don't know how anyone can be stupid enough to have kids in cars not restrained but it never ceases to amaze me how many people are this devoid of basic protection instinct. Do they not think crashes happen or what on earth do they think happens to an unrestrained child in a crash?? It's way beyond stupid.
 
Iv noticed parents getting lazy in strapping kids in...some kids open their car seats..I know I need to tie the the shoulder belts together with a sock.., I know of a school run car with 2 kids in front seat, no belt, unbelievable.
 
Sandals said:
I know I need to tie the the shoulder belts together with a sock
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Why? Are the belts broken? OP it sounds like you simply met a completely unreasonable mother so I doubt you would get any joy discussing the concerns there but to your question, yes the legal requirement is that everyone must wear a seatbelt apart from the exemptions below (taken from Regulations 2006). See also the RSA site.

(a) a person wearing a disabled person's belt,
(b) the holder of a certificate of a registered medical practitioner in the form set out in Schedule 2,
(c) a person giving instruction in or in respect of the driving of a vehicle,
(d) a person conducting a test of competence to drive under Part III of the Act, or
(e) a member of the Garda Síochána or of the Defence Forces acting in the course of his or her duties.
 
From http://www.citizensinformation.ie/

Safety belts and disabled passengers

A "disabled persons belt" is a safety belt which has been specially designed or adapted for use by someone with a physical disability. Disabled persons belts should only be used by those for whom they are intended.

Exemptions from requirement to wear seatbelts
1. If you are sitting on a seat that is not fitted with a safety belt
2. If you are giving instruction in respect of the driving of a vehicle (i.e., you are teaching someone else how to drive). This is another example of a case where it might not be so wise to avail of the leniency of the law.
3. If you are driving test examiner conducting a driving test
4. If you are a member of An Garda Siochana or the Defence Forces and are driving as part of your duties
5. If you hold a medical certificate signed by a qualified medical practitioner stating it is inadvisable on medical grounds you wear a seatbelt or child restraint
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Note point 1.

If they are sitting in a seat that is not fitted with a seat belt then they are exempt.
 
Hi Soylent

If you see it again, note the number and notify the Gardai. Or look out for a garda car in the area. You might be lucky.

Brendan
 
Now Brendan do you really think that will achieve anything? I think the Gardai are busy enough?
 
venice said:
Now Brendan do you really think that will achieve anything? I think the Gardai are busy enough?
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As I said, he might be lucky.

I gave out to a taxi for stopping in the middle of Baggot Street to pick up a fare. He didn't even pull into the side of the road.

I cycled down around Merrion Square and saw a Garda. I spoke to the Garda and when the taxi came around the corner, he pulled him in.

It's happened on other occasions as well. Most of the time, there is no Garda around, but occasionally there is.

Brendan
 
Yes but if we all go bothering the Gardai every time we saw someone without a seat belt or on a mobile phone or soon to be an offence adults smoking in a car with children etc then I there not going to have much time doing anything else. Now I'm not condoning these things but they don't have the resources. Like there was hardy a major crime committed here.
 
venice said:
Yes but if we all go bothering the Gardai every time we saw someone without a seat belt or on a mobile phone or soon to be an offence adults smoking in a car with children etc then I there not going to have much time doing anything else. Now I'm not condoning these things but they don't have the resources. Like there was hardy a major crime committed here.
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But they go out of their way to set up checkpoints to catch these things, so why wouldn't they be happy to get the info on a plate?
 
There is a difference between a checkpoint and on the spot fine and an allegation that then has to be investigated and proved. We don't even know if this lady driver did anything wrong here.
 
Actually the OP has good grounds for reporting her to the Gardaí

I noticed that the child, aged about 4 or 5 years old was moving around the back seat and standing between the two front seats of the car.
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Leave aside the OP's negative impression of the driver's behaviour, an unrestrained child hopping around on the back seat is a danger to itself and, at the very least, a distraction to the driver. If the "medical allowance" applied she should be able to provide the appropriate documentation when asked for it.

Gardaí on patrol are there to serve the community, not to hang around waiting for big ticket crime items.
 
venice said:
Yes but if we all go bothering the Gardai every time we saw someone without a seat belt or on a mobile phone or soon to be an offence adults smoking in a car with children etc then I there not going to have much time doing anything else. Now I'm not condoning these things but they don't have the resources. Like there was hardy a major crime committed here.
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How is this bothering the Gardai, that's there job, to stop people like this woman who is endangering her child. And totally rude on top of it. It's the little things that lead to a society of lawlessness.

And the no smoking in cars with kids is a very good thing, - from an adult who had to endure it all my youth.
 
to stop people like this woman who is endangering her child
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You are missing the bigger picture here.

Gardaí on patrol are there to serve the community, not to hang around waiting for big ticket crime items.
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I agree, however I think they would be better serving the community dealing with real crime, junkies, thieves and all sorts of other lowlife crawling our streets in cities and villages right around Ireland. To repeat, the Gardai do not have the resources to investigate tittle tattle like “he may not have a seat belt” etc. however well meant it may be.
I live in the real world…

Furthermore this just sounds like the OP is peed off because someone skipped her is a queue and is looking at some sort of revenge.
 
A child unrestrained in the back of the car presents an immediate threat to the driver's ability to control their vehicle and therefore a threat to other road users. It isn't "tittle tattle" and it isn't trivial.

You might like to think along the lines of "well we were unrestrained in the back of the car and nothing happened to us" but that is not sensible (rather similar to the "well we all got measles and we were fine" argument, subjective personal experience instead of objective statistical analysis). Fundamentally seatbelts save lives - that is a clear conclusion from the statistics.
 
venice said:
Furthermore this just sounds like the OP is peed off because someone skipped her is a queue and is looking at some sort of revenge.
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It didn't sound like that to me at all. I'd be very upset if someone snarled at me and give me the two fingers, after having queue jumped. It's not about revenge, it's about being a law abiding citizen, having concern for your children, and being polite to other road users.
 
Bronte said:
How is this bothering the Gardai, that's there job, to stop people like this woman who is endangering her child. And totally rude on top of it. It's the little things that lead to a society of lawlessness.

And the no smoking in cars with kids is a very good thing, - from an adult who had to endure it all my youth.
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Thanks. I realise now that this mother/driver should have had her child strapped in a seat whether disabled or not. In an accident the injuries will be the same. There was something the way she used/snarled the word profoundly when describing her child's disability that was suggesting her child's disability might be worse than other disabilities and therefore excused her behaviour.
Bronte's comment above also reminded me that she was smoking in the car with all the windows closed when I spoke with her.
Venice I was thinking about the child here and I was annoyed at the stupid mother who should not be putting her child in danger. I see car drivers engaging in all sort of bad driving every day and don't remonstrate with them.
 
The title of the thread is:
Does everyone have to wear a seat belt?

the car decided to take the lane of traffic with the short queue and when she got to the top barged her way into the other lane, skipping all the other cars who had been queuing. This was a few cars ahead of me.
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the driver drove off she gave me two fingers
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why is this relevant then?

I'd be very upset if someone snarled at me and give me the two fingers
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Surly an exaggeration, no?
 
I am not defending this persons action however if this mother is letting her child roam free in a car without a seatbelt and smoking with all the windows up in aggressive behaviour, then I suspect that this is the least of the child problems.
Its what’s going on behind closed doors that I would be concerned about and not alerting Gardai about the seat belt that possibly could not be proven and waste Gardai resources
 
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