Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) Rules 2011

No. S 688

road traffic act

(CHAPTER 276)

ROAD TRAFFIC
(motor vehicles, wearing of seat belts)
RULES 2011

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 75 of the Road Traffic Act, the Minister for Home Affairs hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules may be cited as the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) Rules 2011 and shall come into operation on 1st January 2012.

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; or
(iii)	for instructional purposes for reward, unless the Registrar has approved such motor car as a business service passenger vehicle;

“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;

“goods-cum-passengers vehicle” means —

(a)	a station wagon constructed for the carriage of 7 passengers or more, excluding the driver, and registered by the owner for the 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;
(b)	a panel van; or
(c)	a twin-cabin goods vehicle;

“heavy goods vehicle” means —

(a)	a goods vehicle the maximum laden weight of which exceeds 3.0 metric tonnes, registered using a certificate of entitlement issued before 1st April 1998; or
(b)	a goods vehicle the maximum laden weight of which exceeds 3.5 metric tonnes, registered using a certificate of entitlement issued on or after 1st April 1998,

but does not include any construction equipment, engineering plant, trivan, recovery vehicle or any vehicle used as a mobile canteen or mobile bank;

“lap belt” means a seat belt, anchored at not less than 2 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)	a goods vehicle the maximum laden weight of which does not exceed 3.0 metric tonnes, registered using a certificate of entitlement issued before 1st April 1998; or
(b)	a goods vehicle the maximum laden weight of which does not exceed 3.5 metric tonnes, registered using a certificate of entitlement issued on or after 1st April 1998,

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;

“registered medical practitioner” means a person registered under the Medical Registration Act (Cap. 174) and includes a person deemed to be so registered under section 72(1) of that Act;

“seat belt” means a belt installed in a motor vehicle pursuant to the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Seat Belts) Rules (R 15), 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;

“small bus” means a bus which has —

(a)	a maximum laden weight of not more than 3,500 kilogrammes; and
(b)	a seating capacity for not more than 15 persons (excluding the driver);

“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.

Application

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

(a)	to every motor car (including a 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 goods-cum-passengers vehicle 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, including a small bus.

Driver and passengers to wear seat belts

4.—(1) Except as provided by rule 6, the driver and every passenger 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 or lap belt is available for his use.

(2) The body-restraining seat belt shall be worn by the driver and every passenger of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply 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.

Driver to ensure passengers comply with rule 4

5. Subject to rule 6, the driver of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply shall ensure that every passenger on that motor vehicle complies with rule 4.

Exemption

6. Rule 4 shall not apply to a person who —

(a)	is below 1.35 metres in height; or
(b)	is medically exempted under rule 7 from wearing a seat belt.

Medical exemption

7.—(1) An application for exemption from rule 4 shall be submitted through a registered medical practitioner with supporting medical reasons and evidence to the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

(2) In considering an application for exemption from rule 4, the Deputy Commissioner of Police may require the medical practitioner through whom the application was submitted to give such further evidence in respect of the application as the Deputy Commissioner of Police may require.

(3) The Deputy Commissioner of Police may —

(a)	by a letter addressed to an applicant for exemption from rule 4, exempt such person from that rule; or
(b)	refuse to grant such exemption.

(4) A person exempted from rule 4 shall carry his letter of exemption at all times when travelling on any motor vehicle to which these Rules apply and produce such letter for inspection when required by a police officer.

Passenger below 1.35 metres in height to be properly secured by approved child restraint, etc.

8.—(1) Where a person below 1.35 metres in height is a passenger of a motor vehicle to which these Rules apply, no person shall use the motor vehicle unless the passenger is properly secured by —

(a)	an approved child restraint appropriate for a person of that height and weight; or
(b)	a body-restraining seat belt in the manner set out in rule 4(2) when seated on a booster seat cushion or when using a seat with an adjustable seat belt approved by the Registrar.

(2) This rule shall not apply in relation to —

(a)	any taxi, if the person below 1.35 metres in height is a rear seat passenger of the taxi; or
(b)	any bus, other than a small bus that is used for the conveyance of any child to or from his school.

Conductor of small bus to ensure passengers comply with rules 4 and 8

9. If a person who is employed by the owner or operator of a small bus as a conductor or an attendant on that small bus is present and on duty on board the small bus, the person shall ensure that every passenger on the small bus (unless exempted under rule 6) complies with rule 4 or is properly secured in accordance with rule 8, as the case may be.

Offences and penalties

10. Any person who contravenes rule 4(1) or (2), 5, 8(1) or 9 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.

Revocation

11. The Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) Rules (R 34) are revoked.

Made this 22nd day of December 2011.

BENNY LIM

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[TP 4.15.16.1; AG/LLRD/SL/276/2010/15 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 141(1) of the Road Traffic Act).

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