“The seat belt saves lives. Buckle up to life!” This is one of the messages that the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) periodically broadcasts through its social networks to raise awareness among users about the usefulness of the seat belt, one of the passive safety elements that all vehicles are equipped with and that is mandatory. for all passengers, except for few exceptions provided for by law.
The insistence of the Traffic authorities that no one travels without a seat belt is not free. Although the use of seat belts in Spain has been mandatory since 1975 for the front seats and since 1992 for the rear seats, today there are still too many people who do not wear them, according to the complaints imposed by traffic officers.
But what is even worse is the number of passengers who die in traffic accidents due to not wearing a seat belt. In 2022, in passenger cars and vans alone, 142 people who lost their lives on the road were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident.
We have all internalized that when we get into the car we have to put on our seat belts before driving off. The most modern cars have warning devices that indicate whether the seat belt is fastened or not, further reinforcing the importance of this practice. However, when we travel on a bus that has seat belts in all seats, we are faced with the question of whether their use is voluntary or mandatory.
The regulations leave no room for doubt. Royal Decree 965/2006, which partially modifies the General Traffic Regulations, approved by Royal Decree 1428/2003, is clear in this sense. Article 117.1 establishes the following: “The use of seat belts for trucks, mixed vehicles and buses is mandatory for the driver and passengers, only in the event that the aforementioned belts are factory-equipped.” Likewise, it adds that, in the case of buses, “passengers must be informed through signs or audiovisual means of the obligation to use the aforementioned seat belt.”
Therefore, in cases where the bus equips such a passive safety system, it is mandatory for passengers to fasten their seat belts when settling into the seat. As reflected in the regulatory text, travelers must be informed in advance of this obligation. Refusing to wear the seat belt may result in sanctions according to current regulations.
In mid-March of this year, as we reported in Moveo, around twenty passengers on a bus that was traveling through the province of Valladolid were reported by agents of the Civil Traffic Guard for not wearing seat belts. Each of them had to face a fine of 200 euros. When the person reported for not wearing a seat belt is the same person driving the vehicle, the financial penalty also entails the loss of 4 points on the license.
It should be noted that the regulations regarding the obligation to equip buses with seat belts on all seats affect vehicles registered on or after October 20, 2007. In practice, therefore, the majority of short and long-distance buses long-distance vehicles have seat belts in all seats, which reinforces the safety of passengers. It must be taken into account that, in the event of an accident, the risk of injury on a bus can be significant.
On the one hand, there is a greater chance of being thrown from the vehicle than when driving by car due to the greater number of glass surfaces that a bus has. Furthermore, the possibility of injury is not limited to accidents, but also increases due to sudden braking or turns, as passengers can hit the seat in front of them.
