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Road Traffic Act

(Chapter 276, Section 75)

Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing
of Seat Belts) Rules

R 34

REVISED EDITION 1992

(1st October 1992)

[1st October 1992]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) Rules.

Definitions

2. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

“approved child restraint” means any child restraint meeting the American Standard FMVSS 213; the British Standards B.S. 3254: Part 2: 1988, B.S. AU 202a: 1988, or B.S. AU 185:1983; the Australian Standard AS 1754-1975 (including AS 1754.1-1989 Part 1, AS 1754.2-1989 Part 2 and AS 1754.4-1989 Part 4); the European Standard ECE R44; the Japanese Standard JIS D0401-1990, or such other standards as may be approved by the Minister from time to time;

“body-restraining seat belt” means a seat belt designed to provide restraint for both the upper and lower parts of the trunk of the wearer in the event of an accident to the vehicle;

“booster seat cushion” means a device designed for a child to sit on in order to raise the height of such child to a level suitable for the proper fit of a seat belt;

“business service passenger vehicle” means a motor-car registered in the name of —

(a)	a statutory board, company, firm, society, association or club and used for the owner’s business; or
(b)	an individual and used for the purpose of any trade, business, profession or vocation,

but does not include a motor-car used —

(i)	for the carriage of goods other than samples;
(ii)	for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward; and
(iii)	for instructional purposes for reward;

“child restraint” means a device which is designed to secure a child in a vehicle and to thereby prevent or lessen injury to its user in the event of an accident to the vehicle, and which may either be fitted directly to a suitable anchorage or used in conjunction with an adult seat belt and held in place by the restraining action of that belt;

“heavy goods vehicle” means a goods vehicle the maximum laden weight of which exceeds 3 metric tons, but does not include any construction equipment, engineering plant, trivan, recovery vehicle and any vehicle used as a mobile canteen or mobile bank;

“lap belt” means a seat belt, anchored at not less than two points, which passes across the front of the wearer’s pelvic region and which restrains the lower part of the wearer’s torso;

“light goods vehicle” means a goods vehicle the maximum laden weight of which does not exceed 3 metric tons but does not include any construction equipment, engineering plant, trivan, motor-cycle with a side-car attached to it, recovery vehicle and any vehicle used as a mobile canteen or mobile bank;

“private hire car” means a motor-car which does not ply for hire on any road but is hired under a contract, express or implied, for the use of the motor-car as a whole;

“seat belt” means a belt installed in a motor vehicle pursuant to the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Seat Belts) Rules, which belt is intended to be worn by a person in the vehicle and designed to prevent or lessen injury to its wearer in the event of an accident to the vehicle and includes, in the case of a restraining device for a young person, any special chair to which the belt is attached;

[R 15.]

“specified passenger’s seat” means —

(a)	in the case of a vehicle which has a forward facing front seat alongside the driver’s seat, such seat, and in the case of a vehicle which has more than one such seat, the one furthest from the driver’s seat; or
(b)	if the vehicle has no seat which is the specified passenger’s seat under paragraph (a), the forward-facing front seat for a passenger which is foremost in the vehicle and furthest from the driver’s seat, unless there is a fixed partition separating such seat from the space in front of it alongside the driver’s seat;

“station wagon” means a vehicle with folding seats and side doors and either a tail-board or doors opening at the rear, constructed or adapted for the carriage of goods as well as passengers;

“station wagon (goods-cum-passengers)” means a station wagon constructed for the carriage of 7 passengers or more, excluding the driver, and registered by the owner for use by him or a member of his family or any person by his authority without consideration for social or domestic purposes or for the owner’s business and excluding the use for instructional purposes for reward.

Application

3. Unless otherwise expressly provided, these Rules shall apply —

(a)	to every motor car and motor car used for instructional purposes registered on or after 1st January 1973;
(b)	to every business service passenger vehicle registered on or after 1st January 1973;
(c)	to every light goods vehicle registered on or after 1st January 1973;
(d)	to every private hire car registered on or after 1st January 1973;
(e)	to every station wagon (goods-cum-passengers) registered on or after 1st January 1973;
(f)	to every taxi;
(g)	to every ambulance, fire engine and hearse;
(h)	to every heavy goods vehicle; and
(i)	to every bus.

Driver and front seat passenger to wear seat belts

4.—(1) Except as provided by rule 8, the driver and any person in the specified passenger’s seat of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply shall wear a body-restraining seat belt or a lap belt where such a seat belt is available for the use of the driver and the person in the specified passenger’s seat of the motor vehicle.

(2) The body-restraining seat belt shall be worn in such a manner as to provide restraint for both the upper and lower parts of the trunk of the wearer in the event of an accident to the vehicle.

(3) Except as exempted under rule 9(6), a front seat passenger in a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply, not being the driver or the person in the specified passenger’s seat, shall wear a lap belt or a body-restraining seat belt where there is one available for his use.

Driver to ensure front seat passengers comply with rule 4

5. Subject to rule 8, the driver of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply shall ensure that every front seat passenger complies with rule 4.

Rear seat passenger to wear seat belt available for his use

6. Every rear seat passenger of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply shall, subject to rule 8, wear a lap belt or a body-restraining seat belt if there is one available for his use.

Driver to ensure rear seat passengers comply with rule 6

7. The driver of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply shall, subject to rule 8, ensure that every rear seat passenger complies with rule 6.

Exemption

8. Rules 4 and 6 shall not apply to a person who —

(a)	is below 1.5 metres in height; or
(b)	is exempted under rule 9(6) from wearing a seat belt.

Medical board

9.—(1) In this rule, “medical board” means the medical board appointed under paragraph (3).

(2) An application for exemption from rules 4 and 6 shall be submitted through a registered medical practitioner with supporting medical reasons and evidence to the chairman of the medical board.

(3) For the purpose of this rule, a medical board consisting of 5 medical officers shall be appointed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.

(4) Any 3 members of the medical board shall constitute a quorum.

(5) The medical board may require the medical practitioner through whom an application under this rule was submitted to attend a hearing of the board to give such further evidence in respect of the application as the board may require.

(6) The medical board may exempt a person from rules 4 and 6 or may refuse to grant such exemption.

Child front seat passenger to be secured by approved child restraint

10.—(1) Where a child below 8 years of age is the front seat passenger of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply, no person shall use the motor vehicle unless the child is properly secured by an approved child restraint appropriate for a child of that height and weight.

(2) For the purpose of paragraph (1), a child shall be deemed to be properly secured if the child is able, by using a booster seat cushion, to wear a seat belt in the manner prescribed by rule 4(2).

(3) This rule shall not apply to taxis or buses.

Child rear seat passenger to be secured by approved child restraint

11.—(1) Where a seat belt is available for the use of a child below 8 years of age who is the rear seat passenger of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply, no person shall use the motor vehicle unless the child is properly secured by an approved child restraint appropriate for a child of that height and weight.

(2) For the purpose of paragraph (1), a child shall be deemed to be properly secured if the child is able, by using a booster seat cushion, to wear a seat belt in the manner prescribed by rule 4(2).

(3) This rule shall not apply to taxis or buses.

Offences and penalties

12. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of these Rules shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.