Safe Speed Forums

I've been relegated to public transport while my car gets a new clutch and as we all know, you wait ages for a bus Whiling the time away, I was observing how many people wore seat belts. I estimate that over 80% of drivers, and even more passengers (including kids) did not wear them. Most of those who did wear them were of pensionable age. The BiBs could net a fortune in Cleveland and N. Yorkshire

Nope there's no change. Unfortunately what with all the other pressures on the service, seat belts are low on most officers priorities. I know that a lot of you won't like that statement because its a safety issue, but that's the way it is.

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'Detritus, get yer stoney arse over ere'

Hmmmmm....

beltcams....

Well, beltcams and phonecams might be more use than speedcams

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

You'll won't find me arguing with you on that.

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'Detritus, get yer stoney arse over ere'

Taxi drivers never wear them either-maybe because they're such good drivers who are exempt from having an accident

Regards


Andrew

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It's a scam........or possibly a scamola


Homer Simpson

The title of my topic was tongue in cheek

Taxi drivers, I think, are exempt while carrying passengers?

.. and back in the days when they needed a hand-held mic, used to come to a halt neatly at the kerb at the end of their fared journey, switch off, get out, walk around their car and courteously open the door for their passenger(s) this was understandable. However, these days, the audio is hands free, the driver is seemingly welded to the seat (do they have catherters?) and seatbelts are no longer the restrictive devices they were.

I am sure there are good reasons that the law has not (yet) been revoked for taxi drivers, but I just can't think why they don't wear them anyway.

Amen to that

Same reason as why police officers don't wear them. you don't know whats on in the mind of the bugger in the back seat, and its no fun being strangled with your own seat belt

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'Detritus, get yer stoney arse over ere'

Just Hope Their passengers have sense to wear them

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RoADA Member -GOLD 2008
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Yeah well I did but try telling 3 drunk people that they'll have more than a sore head in the morning if the taxi crashes and they take a burton through the screen, BTW the taxi driver wasn't one of the drunk persons...I HOPE


Regards


Andrew

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It's a scam........or possibly a scamola


Homer Simpson

I have to say from my observations well over 80% of drivers wear seatbelts. Perhaps the OP was looking in Chav City.

I agree, though, that taxi and private hire drivers generally don't wear seatbelts.

I also don't put on my seatbelt when moving my car the 50 yards from in front of my house to my garage. Does that make me a criminal?

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

That would have been my point but you got there first.


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But taxis round our way are fitted with "bubbles" of macrolon or similar preventing anyone with intent from reaching the driver.

I am sure there are self-preservation reasons that a taxi driver won't get out to open his door for the elderly passenger he has just driven. Not too long ago I was about 50 yards away, on the opposite side of the road, and walking towards where a taxi had pulled up to let an old lady out for the local shops. I was not hurrying yet she was still struggling to make the door stay put and get out as I drew level with the taxi, while the apparently irritated driver just sat in his seat. I crossed - in front of the cab and was pleased to help her out. Although he'd not got off his **** to do this, I thought maybe my comment aimed his way might achieve that - but even that didn't work.

I would agree, on the face of it, an idle plonker. But consider how much cash that he might have on him, or in the vehicle. Even discounting the possibility that the old dear was a 'plant'. Most unlikely, but in some areas of the Country, not impossible. Consider the possibility that once out of the vehicle he became vulnerable to an 'opportunist' robber, wielding a knife.

Whilst the cash may have been safely secured within the vehicle, he would still have been personally vulnerable.

I can remember, a few years ago, a Sergeant who had done his 30 years years and retired with no significant injuries.

A couple of weeks after retirement he was shopping in the local town. Suddenly running toward him was, what turned out to be, a shoplifter, pursued by, and here we make a judgement decision based on experience, security staff.

He blocked the offender and was stabbed in the stomach. A serious injury, fortunately not life threatening (on this occasion).

It is often easy to sit back and be judgemental regarding the actions of others whilst not fully appreciating the environment in which they work and the people with whom they deal on a day to day basis.

Fair dos. I guess yet another example of the few spoiling life for the many. It was near the end of the day and he may well have had a big stash.

Belts protect perpetrators, and also (by giving them confidence that they are safe) they decrease a perp’s dis-incentive to commit an offence.

On the other hand, it is irrelevant to victims whether the perp was or wasn’t wearing his belt, so in some respects, it is better for society as a whole if speeders and drivers with other malfunctions DO NOT wear their seat belts!

Speed reduction measures penalise perps, and offer some protection to other road users.

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I stole this .sig

Black cabs may be, but private hire vehicles generally aren't.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Personally I never liked the seat belt legislation except for the requirement for young children to be strapped in, even though I've always used my seat belts, even before the legislation. After all, this is a law to protect the individual from himself. I have no objection to a campaign to encourage drivers and passengers to strap in, but to force them to is, IMO, basically wrong.
The same thing applies to motor cycle riders and helmets. If they want to take the risk, how is this risk any different from the risk taken by smokers? However, with smoking we only issue warnings (and, of course, impose high taxes).
It seems as though we have laws for laws sake and forincreased control over the individual. Another example is the law re mobile phones. There was a perfectly good law controlling this - Driving Withouit Due Care and Attention or even Failing to Maintain Proper Control..... . However, yet more laws were deemed necessary.
People should be allowed to make their own judgement about what risks they take with their lives. If this enforced preservation of our well being continues we will end up banning thing like playing rugby, mountaineering, motor racing/rallying, etc, etc., in case someone gets hurt.
How far do we take this?