Seatbelt Rule
The seatbelt rule covers every belted seat, not just the front. The 2015 amendment tightened child-restraint requirements: under-3s require an approved car seat. The driver carries legal responsibility for child passengers’ restraint. Operationally linked to the Seatbelt and Head Restraint controls under Vehicle Controls.
Plain-language rule
Every occupant of a seat fitted with a seatbelt must wear it — driver and all passengers, front and back. A child under 3 must be in an appropriate child restraint; children 3–14 (or under 1.5 m) must wear a seatbelt or sit in the rear where one exists.
Legal basis: National Road Traffic Regulations 2000, Reg 213 (and 1 May 2015 child-restraint amendment)
Exceptions
- Child-restraint duty does not apply to minibuses/buses operating for reward (taxis/buses)
- A medical certificate can exempt a person for whom a belt is impractical
Question patterns
- Numeric recall (limits, distances, ages) where applicable.
- “What must you do in situation X?” — required response.
- Distractor trap: Believing only front seats or only the driver must belt up, or that a child may be held on an adult’s lap.
Penalty / consequence
Seatbelt fine per unbelted occupant; the driver is liable for unbelted child passengers.
Ontology Seatbelt Rule [part-of] Rules of the Road
Connections
- Rules of the Road — part_of_topic, source: 2026-06-28
- National Road Traffic Regulations 2000 — derived_from_source, source: 2026-06-28