Seatbelt Exemptions Policy

Our Responsibility and Patient Safety

Our primary duty is to protect our patients and promote measures that keep them safe and well. The law is very clear: all drivers and passengers must wear a seatbelt. The government’s own guidance for doctors, published by the DVLA, highlights the “overwhelming evidence to show that seatbelts prevent death and serious injury in road traffic accidents.”

In a crash at 30 mph, an unrestrained person can hit the dashboard or seats in front of them with a force of up to 60 times their own body weight. Seatbelts are proven to reduce the risk of all types of injury by up to 50%. Because of this clear evidence, there are no medical conditions (including pregnancy) that automatically grant an exemption.

Each case must be carefully assessed, and as GPs, we do not have the specialist training to make this complex judgement.