Gay Mitchell
Ceist:201 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment if he will bring forward the date for the compulsory use of rear passenger car safety belts.
Written Answers. - Car Safety Belts.
When I launched the National Road Safety Campaign on 27 September 1990 I announced that the fitting of rear seat belts on all new cars would be mandatory from 1 January 1992, and that rear seat passengers will have to wear these belts, where fitted, from 1 January 1993. While I feel that both of these deadlines are reasonable, I am prepared to consider whether earlier dates might be prescribed. In this connection, allowance must be made for the fact that suppliers of cars need a reasonable period to ensure that stocks which they hold or have on order are technically capable of taking rear seat belts and are so fitted. In addition, it would not be appropriate to introduce an offence of not using a rear seat belt until belts have been fitted for a reasonable period during which publicity can be arranged to bring the change in the law and its road safety benefits to the attention of the public.