The Chief

As above.

seeing as it is last day at work tommorrow i am designated taxi driver and i will be coming into work in my old fella's chevy pick up.

now it only carrys 4-5 people in the cab.

what is the legality side with regards to sticking people in the back of the pick up?


Cheers

stilover

It's illegal.

For one, they're not wearing seatbelts, so you as the driver will get done for that first off.

The copper who'll pull you will do you for a lot more than that too.

Gutmann pug

The driver doesn't get prosecuted for people not wearing seat belts, the person not wearing the belt does AFAIK

stilover

Your wrong on that.

The driver is responsible for all occupants wearing their seat belts. I remember because that's what they (police) were telling people when the rear seatbelt law came into effect.

Gav

Has'nt the law just changed on it though??

I thought the person if over 14 years of age was responsible for wearing their seatbelt? Maybe wrong though

kittle

passenger over 14 is responsible for thier own seat belt.... but driver i assume is responsible for havgn the correct number or passengers in vehicle...

cottonfoo

Here's the seatbelt laws, changed in mid September, The law on wearing seat belts in the UK

BOBBY G

Here's an idea.

Bump them all off and stack em high!

Gutmann pug

From the law .......

PASSENGERS
over the age of 14
Front belt Must be worn if available
Rear belt Must be worn if available
Responsibility - Passenger

Therefore you are wrong stilover, not me

The Chief

I always thought it was the passengers responsibility to wear a belt not the driver. if they are above a certain age.

i could be wrong though

stilover

I stand corrected Gutman. I didn't know the law had changed.

bbigman2000

Be a bit cold aswell LOL

Gutmann pug

gotmashed

when we got pulled for this they told us as long as we were sat down then no problem but that was a few years ago now. (Also one guy was standing looking over top of the cab hence being pulled.) The pick up also had fold down bench seat so could have been why it was ok

RUDDY

the farmers up my lane do it all the time when there off to shoot their shotguns!

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Does your driving licence restrict the amount of passengers you can carry also?

Shark Man

Seatbelt laws only apply to vehicles with a seatbelt fitted on the seat being used.

No seatbelt fitted? Well then the seatbelt laws don't apply to person sat in that seat.

And there is no legal requirement for manufacturers to fit seatbelts in the loadspace of a pick up


What you may get pulled for is carrying more passengers than what your vehicle is designed for. I'm sure everyone has seen the Police video of a car carry 10 of ethnics, with 7 people in the back and 3 in the front.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

If you passed your test before 1st January 1997 then you can drive a vehicle with up to 16 seats/passengers. (category D1)

However, the vehicle must first have >16 seats!

Imagine the carnage if you were in a smash with folk standing in the truck bed?


Basically what it'd come down to is an offence relating to incorrect carriage of passengers, which is what the folk driving Volvo estates with 8 kids in the boot get done with

billythekid

It would come under construction and use IMHO

100(1) requires:

a motor vehicle, and all its parts and accessories;

the number of passengers carried, and the manner in which any passengers are carried in or on a vehicle; and

the weight, distribution, packing and adjustment of the load of a vehicle,

to be at all times such that no danger is caused, or is likely to be caused, to any person in or on a vehicle or on a road.

CrisPDuk

Over here you can be insured to carry up to 8 in theback of a pickup

Get's a bit cramped mind

TINO.wrx

iTrader: (5)

oh how i love them songthaws!!!!!(sp)

steve

CrisPDuk

They're relatively safe It's the normal pick-ups carrying a bunch of people to work that make me smile, and they're always playing cards in the back

Or the ones carrying great lengths of steel or timber running up over the roof, with a couple of guys straddling the load holding it in place, because they couldn't find any rope

Timo.

£60 fine and 3 points is what you will get.

Carrying passengers in a dangerous manner is what it is called.

I know because I have 'done' people for it.

T.

mike_330

well i didnt know you could give out points for that, they must have been really messing about

Timo.

yup you sure can. Many builders etc in white vans, with people in the back, fall foul of that law often.

It makes sense. If you crash you have a possible 90kg+ of un strapped mass in the back and there's only one ways its going.

Have you guys not seen that driving/pizza windscreen advert when the young lad kills his mate in the front seat cos he didn't have his seatbelt on??

It happens and it aint nice!!

T.

miltski

also even if passengers are responsible for their own seatbelts, if you were in a collision and they got injured, they could sue driver for not being responsible or something like that, my girlfriend did a case like this about two years ago.