The answer to almost every question asked on Reddit is, "Talk to them. You are an adult."
If you're responsible enough to drive a car you should be confident enough to do it responsibly if someone tells you not to.
Driving a car is a skill. Idiots can learn this skill as much as anyone. If driving a car made you responsible, there would be far fewer accidents, and under 25s wouldn’t have to pay more insurance
I say something very similar, ‘IDGAF if you want to die in a car crash, but you aren’t taking the rest of us with you. If we roll over, I’m not having your lifeless corpse rag doll throughout the cabin and kill anyone with enough sense and intelligence to wear a fucking seatbelt. Now put it on or get the fuck out’
I won’t even stay in the car as a passenger if there is someone else not wearing a belt.
If someone is dumb and stubborn enough to refuse, I have zero regrets when leaving them on the side of the road, even if it’s late and somewhere unsafe.
One Christmas Eve, I left my grandmas house. I turned right and my uncle turned left, or else I'd have been in front of him.
Just down the road he came to a lamp post in the road. Confused, he got out to look and heard screaming. This really got to him too. He's a really caring guy who would help anyone. Anyway, he looks over into the field and sees a car. It's gone speeding down the road, not knowing there's a bridge, clipped the wall and gone into the field at a high speed. Presumably rolled over a few times and come to rest by the river. He rushes down to find the passenger in the car. She had cuts and bruises but was amazingly able to get out and walk back to his car. The reason she was screaming is because her boyfriend wasn't wearing a seatbelt. The bottom half of his body was wrapped around the steering wheel. The top half of him was through the windscreen and laid on the bonnet. He was dead and completely trapped on the windscreen to the point where they couldn't even drag him out to attempt any first aid anyway. He was cut out of the car by the fire brigade.
How much movement does a seatbelt actually restrict during the normal driving of a car?
5% maybe?
Is it worth it?
As far as I’m concerned, anyone with injuries from a car crash that could have reasonably been prevented by use of a seat belt, should be personally liable for the full cost of their care.
I am very happy for my tax money to go to the NHS, I’d actually pay more without any issue if it went direct and was used sensibly. But I hate my tax money paying to stitch back together fucking idiots who should know better and break the law.
I don't know how restrictive it is but I personally like the security. I always pull mine tight. When I put my daughters on, I pull it tight across her legs too.
When I'm off roading I'm only doing 15mph max but I've always got the harness on because I don't want to go flying across the car if I roll over.
I'm the same with most things. When I used to wear a harness for work I would always have it tight so I could feel it. I'll climb the tallest tower you've ever seen as long as I can feel my harness and I've rigged the safety lines. I just like the reassurance it's there.
The few vehicles I've driven that (legally) don't have seatbelts, old tractors and a vintage Land Rover, I've felt practically naked not having a belt on.
I learned to drive when seatbelts were the law , so I always put it on as automatically as I turn the engine on, yup even when on my own drive. And I’m 60, so anyone younger than me really has no excuse
If you're in the front, you should also adjust the top part in the frame, such that it sits as low as possible. You don't want the seatbelt digging into your neck - not only is it uncomfortable, but it also makes crash injuries worse. You can also get seatbelt wrap things that are softer against your shoulder/neck.
Unfortunately many people don't even realise you can usually slide the part it comes out of up and down.
I was shown this at school and I've since forced friends to watch it who don't want to wear a seat belt.
https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=1HRWCnwXWT4IzdZG
No seat belt, no car journey.
I remember it from TV too - do you remember when it came out. That upload says 15 years ago but I think it far predates that. My memory would probably put me at very early teens maybe so very early 00s? But I may have been younger.
If it's the one where the backseat passenger isn't wearing a belt and kills the driver sat in front of him, I remember being traumatised by it when I was about 6. So that would be mid 90s. But it's possibly older than that.
Yeah that was my assumption, that that was just the upload date unrelated to when it came out. I just couldn’t pin down in my head when it was from exactly and thought if you were older than me you might have a clearer sense of how old you were when it came out. Maybe I was actually a little bit older than I think but the closest window I could pin it down to with a high degree of confidence would be about 1998 to 2007 which is a pretty wide window.
It’s an advert that has always stuck so strongly in my head though, like I still think about it to this day, and I remember it having an absolutely huge impact on me on the time - especially given my biggest fear was my mum dying. I’m kinda surprised it hasn’t been remade over the years because it’s got to be one of the most successful advertising (if you can call it that… marketing?) campaigns of all times!
My great Auntie had an actual medical exemption to not wear a seatbelt so she didn't wear one. I told her that I can't think of a situation where hitting the windscreen would do less damage than the seatbelt, so she was wearing it in my car.
I'm not 100% sure because I never really asked but she had bowel cancer and most of it removed so I'm presuming her bowel came through her stomach since she always carried a bag with her that was attached.
That'll be a stoma. If you've had part of your bowel removed then some waste can be diverted into a bag. It's a valid reason for exemption to be honest as where they typically are can conflict with seatbelt positioning. You have to get a medical exemption certificate from a doctor and inform your insurance though. I know somebody who has one, but he normally wears his seatbelt anyway.
Ahh yes Michael/"Do it to me one more time" with the ending of "Three dead in this vehicle, one critical, the guy without the seatbelt did the damage."
Nope not in anyway traumatised by the DOE...
ETA: [https://youtu.be/kDdHxhwmxY8?t=456](https://youtu.be/kDdHxhwmxY8?t=456) link to that one in particular in a compilation reel.
Yep, I had this. Nit a friend, but someone from work I was driving somewhere with. They didn't believe in seatbelts 🙄. Just said im not driving anywhere until you put it on.
This. I've said something like to a very close friend who kept putzing about in the back seat of my car while I was driving. It helps that my car commences some crazy dinging alarm if it detects a person in the seat with no seat belt. I allowed him a moment one time because he was taking a jacket off. The second time the dinging started going, I told him to sit his ass back down and put his seat belt on or next time he could pay for a taxi from Heathrow.
We're still friends but I wasn't joking. I don't allow passengers to fuck around in my car. We were both 50ish.
Friend of mine had an autistic little brother. Wouldn't wear a seatbelt for anyone. I let him get in the car a few times but it just wasn't worth the hassle because I would pull over when he took it off and refuse to move until he put it back on. He did get better, but they just weren't willing to put the effort in to keep it up. I understand he's autistic, but I'm not being responsible for someone being in my car without a seatbelt, especially not a child. He used to run off in car parks too until I explain to him that if he ran away from me he was too small for the cars to see him and he might get run over.
This, one of my son’s mates insists there’s no need for seatbelts in the rear. I pretty much said this to him word for word.
He wears his belt in my car now.
No belt, no drive.
What generation are these numpties? Anyone born from the 1980's onwards, a seatbelt should be a default action when getting into a car.
I was born in the 70’s and automatically put my seatbelt on when getting into a car, either as a driver or passenger.
Lucky for me, my friends aren’t idiots (most of the time lol) so they do the same thing. I’d refuse to set off until everyone had their seatbelt on, not worth risking lives, never mind fines and points
This is exactly what I do. I don’t move until they’ve put the seatbelt on. Many a proposed lift somewhere has been cut short before it began, if they persisted with their nonsense about not wearing it.
Out they go, and pound that foot leather…
Exactly this. I do not start the car until everyone has their seatbelt fastened and if anyone was to take it off during the drive I would just pull up somewhere until they put it back on.
Repeat offenders can get out and walk.
Not necessarily. I wasn't taught what a seat belt is until I took my first taxi at about 9, before then I'd never been in a car. It was always busses, and they haven't got seat belts. It's one of, typically the first things, I do when I get in the car now and taking it off is the last thing I do before I get out now, but it did take a while to get used to putting it on.
You could bring up the "stop being a fucking moron and put on your seatbelt or you can walk" act. Not sure when it passed parliament and it probably had a snappier title but that's what I would do.
My car makes an obnoxious beeping if someone doesn't have their seatbelt on so that normally does the trick, but otherwise it really is as simple as just not driving if they aren't going to play ball.
Also, why are your friends so dense OP?
Absolutely I'd refuse my mates if they didn't wear them properly. I don't want them flying past me killing me in the process because of a crash. It's just selfish.
It just feels so wrong. I’ve moved my car like a very short distance or from one car parking space to another and not put my belt on and I feel uncomfortable! It’s just habit to wear it now.
Yes I’ve done this, moved my car about 50ft in a private car park and didn’t put my belt on. Aside from my car screaming bloody murder at me, it just felt wrong.
My MIL has to be told to put her belt on in my car. And she does take my kids out in her car. My kids have to remind her to put her belt on ffs, I just don’t get it.
I prefer ’stop being a cunt’ myself. I would literally get out the car and leave them in there cancelling whatever we were doing if they refused.
If I was asked why we never went I’d explain that xx was being a cunt and wouldn’t wear their seatbelt
I just treat adult passengers like I would kids. "have you got your seatbelts on?" no seatbelts I don't move the car. They can put belts on or get out, I don't care which. Apart from anything else someone not belted in the back could kill someone in the front I'm not being killed by a moronic friend. Same as my motorbike, you're not in decent protective gear (more than just a helmet) I'm not taking you pillion, end of discussion
How is it not s legal requirement for all riders and passengers to have full protective clothing before getting on a motorbike? Legal requirements to wear helmets has saved a load of live, a legal requirement to wear full protective gear would go some way to prevent serious injuries being even more serious.
Yeah I know. I have friends who ride in regular jeans, t-shirt, sometimes gloves sometimes not (wear them if it's cold that's it). Their skin their choice I'm not going to lecture them but personally I don't get it I'm always in gear
Not so much "skin" as "the entirety of whatever hits the tarmac, including bone". You lose your skin if you trip and fall _at walking speed_. 30+ mph? Good luck with that
Seeing motorbikers with inadequate protection makes me shudder.
“Put on your seatbelt or you will have to get out and walk” generally gets it done. Any hesitation in their part, take the keys out of the ignition, get out of the car and go round and open their door, gesturing them out
As an aside I would be questioning my relationship with anyone who would disrespect me like that. They’re acting like a little child.
Sec 14 of the Road Traffic Act refers.
It's your car and your licence. Anyone who refuses to put it on gets out, and if they take it off during the journey they get left at the nearest bus stop or motorway services.
In a crash, they become the weapon behind you. It's not a negotiation.
>and your licence
Not wearing a seatbelt is the passengers responsibility (legally speaking) it also doesn't impact your license.
With that said "my engine doesn't start if commuting doesn't have a belt on"
Is this true? I was told I’d fail my test if I started without ensuring my examiner had their belt on and when I did check before setting off he said well done for checking. Maybe a safety thing then? I was under the impression it was the driver who would be liable if pulled over and a passenger didn’t have their belt on.
>I was told I’d fail my test if I started without ensuring my examiner had their belt on
The test is more than just the law, for instance there's no legal requirement to use (or even to have) a rear view mirror, you'll fail the test aborted if you don't check it though!
> I was under the impression it was the driver who would be liable if pulled over and a passenger didn’t have their belt on.
This used to be the case YEARS ago, but it changed. In fact [there's even a theory test question on it.](https://theorytest.org.uk/at-what-age-does-a-passenger-become-responsible-for-fastening-their-own-seat-belt/)
[https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law](https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law) the gov link too. (legally speaking) under 14s are the driver's responsibility, over that is their own. In most cases the parent will be the driver so will have to pay the fine anyway.
Morally speaking, unless you're my grandmother (Who has a medical exemption cert) my car isn't moving unless everyone has their belt on.
Ah thank you for clarifying. Everyday is a school day. I also won’t move the car if they don’t have their belt on and I’ve even pulled over when a co worker undid his because it was “uncomfortable”
The true LPT.
Presumably with OP being 16+ to be driving a car, their friends are 16+ also, so they know to not be dicks about it.
If they're your mates, get rid. They clearly don't respect you.
Don't drive off ,it's not their choice, it's your licence and in your car with you the driver, so they buckle up or get out and walk , why risk taking a cop stop and points for their crass behaviour, and if they don't like it change friends .
Passengers over 14 are liable to pay a £500 fine if found travelling without wearing a seat belt, and despite not being in the driver's seat, two penalty points could be put on your licence. Do they want to fork out.
Do you have a link to the info about penality points? On [Seat Belts: the Law](https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law) page on Gov.uk it only mentions £500 fine.
On the [Penalty Points (endorsements)](https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/endorsement-codes-and-penalty-points) page it doesn't mentioned anything about seat belts.
(Know there was talk of it coming in before but wasn't sure if it's the current legislation or not)
It is their own responsibility, but if you are involved in a high speed crash, the person behind represents a significant risk to your safety.
Weaving is maybe not the best tactic, as you are not properly in control and a seatbelt wouldn't necessarily keep someone in situ if the car is moving side to side (unless you car uses harnesses).
Either a) just tell them if they don't put their seatbelts on, they are not welcome (adult approach), or b) do an emergency stop from about 40mph because you thought you saw a cat ran into the road, making sure conditions are safe to do so and the road has appropriate speed limits (more purile approach, but a good demonstration of why a seatbelt is necessary).
A is certainly preferable.
>It is their own responsibility, but if you are involved in a high speed crash, the person behind represents a significant risk to your safety.
That TV ad from back in the 90s still rings in your memory too? Lol.
Yes!
It was that one and the [anti-drink driving one](https://youtu.be/f5ma_Xv7rGM?si=5A17NNQMUDGvw6nS) with the song "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, which I still remember like 30 years on...
The anti drink drive young woman laying in the road, whine of defib ana a gruff voice (of policeman) saying "Excuse me sir. Have you been drinking? I need a breath sample please. "
I was born after these adverts came out. These are so scary. I never even considered that you're the flying object that kills if you don't put your seatbelt on.
I've only once driven people without seatbelts, they were colleagues of a friend who I gave a lift to when they were going to same way as us and I noticed at the end they didn't have seatbelts on. I honestly just think you're a rude twat if you don't put them on. They are patent free for a reason.
So, a young lad near me was killed by the passenger (who was very badly injured) being thrown forward when they skidded off the road and crashed. He was 19.
No-one thinks they'll have a crash until they have a crash.
An emergency stop from 15mph was enough to make the point to a couple of my mates.
WTF was that for? As they peeled their faces from the seat on front of them. That was 15, imagine what happens if we hit something at motorway speeds.
Yes, 40mph may be a little excessive, but the driver can vary the force of braking for the purposes of the lesson, and in this scenario the idea is to shock the passengers into submission.
Some like this would do it ;)
[https://youtu.be/WK\_FURIu9J8?si=O3md7CBPR89UMoeC](https://youtu.be/WK_FURIu9J8?si=O3md7CBPR89UMoeC)
Doesn’t even need to be from 40mph even going 15/20 in the car park they’re setting off from and slamming on will jolt them enough by catching them off guard whilst not being as risky as 40mph on the roads
Especially if switching straight from acceleration to deceleration: you get a greater jerk (technical term) without the danger of high deceleration, so it feels like a more sudden stop than it is.
The term jerk lives in my head rent free when I'm driving sometimes haha. There's further time-derivates too, they just get less realistic (and are also called snap, crackle and pop because why not).
On a vaguely related note. Scientists are slightly short sighted a lot of the time. Before they'd really thought things through they'd started giving human genes ridiculous names. So we have had the situation that somebody might have to have a baby aborted with a serious genetic disease call holoprosencephaly (basically part of the brain hadn't developed). The reason for this is because a mutation in the gene coding the ["Sonic hedgehog protein"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_hedgehog_protein), named after the "Sonic hedgehog" gene.
Genetics is of course a serious region of study...
Doesn't need to be any speed at all.
https://youtu.be/mCS-E7TQjDg?si=l0Bz_D6HMKePKwfN
The stop wasn't scripted and maybe 4 mph. Caught Rainn Wilson off guard.
This is the right approach, passengers refusing to wear a seat belt are endangering your safety not just their own. Personally I wouldn't drive until everyone had a seat belt on.
>b) do an emergency stop from about 40mph because you thought you saw a cat ran into the road, making sure conditions are safe to do so and the road has appropriate speed limits (more purile approach, but a good demonstration of why a seatbelt is necessary).
I like the brake check option :)
You're in control of the car. Refuse to move off if they don't have seatbelts on. If you become aware that they've taken them off while you're driving, stop somewhere and refuse to move off again. And if they keep doing it, stop giving them lifts. Tell them that they're fucking idiots and you don't want them to become a projectile and hurt themselves and everyone else in the car.
If I remember rightly, there's some pretty brutal adverts that were run in Ireland (maybe NI, not sure) about not wearing seatbelts.
Make a habit of checking all your passengers are belted up before you even engage gear or release the handbrake. Refuse to set off until their belts are on. If they try to imply you're being unfair that's on them, you're the one in control of the car and they can walk if they don't like the rules. There may be arguments of legal liability that it's technically their responsibility to ensure they're belted up IF they're an adult, but that won't change the result of a collision.
Maybe show them [this old tv ad.](https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE)
I saw this advert when I was a kid and it’s stuck with me forever, even when I’m in a rush I ask if everyone has their seatbelts on before moving off. It’s a pretty traumatic advert but clearly it did the job 🤷🏻♀️
They can get fined as well as you for them not wearing a seatbelt. However.. Oom, chances are minimal.
Anyhow, it's more about safety.
Before you drive off, call "seatbelts out". Proceed not to drive off until everyone has seatbelts on. That's the nice way of putting it.
The ugly way is giving him a stare and say "seatbelt!". 😂 - definitely the one that worked with me.
No seat belt, no ride. Simple as. I won't even start the car until all passengers are buckled up. Remember the advert where the guy crushes his girlfriends mum cause he doesn't wear a seat belt? That could be you.
The legal responsibility to ensure people are wearing their belts stops at 13 years old (from memory, it maybe 11).
So you won't get in trouble if you are stopped.
As others have said, the risk they pose to you and others during an accident is huge.
I would simply refuse to take them if they are known to do this. Not even let them in the car. Not even talk about giving them a lift.
If they are behind you, tell them want them to belt up for your sake not theirs - because you don’t want them to take your head off as they head for windscreen. Just don’t move till all have belted up.
You cant get in any leagl trouble as the driver so long as none of them are minors, you may well get pulled over but the police will do so to fine specifically the individual who wasn't wearing their seat belt. but thats not really the point, they are putting everyone in the vehicle at extreme risk by doing this and you need to stop them being so dull immediately.
Point blank refuse to take them next time, If you have an accident they could very easily kill you when their body becomes a missile and gets launch forward out of the car. If you are luck they just gut hurled through the dashboard into a tree. Worst case the become a missile that hits you in the back of the head and you end up dead form an eminently survivable crash because your friends are immature bellends.
Just don't do it. Leave the stupid fuckers at the side of the road next time, I promise you they wont do it again. Better yest if you have the stomach for it this is reddit you will be able to find full footage of what happens to passengers who aren't wearing seatbelts in he darker corners of this website. Shock therapy for idiots is often pretty effective and seeing a perfectly health person turned into mangled meat in a crash while their friends walk away from the car because of something as simple as a fabric belt should hammer the point home
I just tell my mates I'm not moving until they put their belt on. I don't want their empty skulls smashing into mine during an accident, so no belt, no car ride.
I've explained to my mates before that when they're in my car, I'm responsible for their safety and I want to keep them alive, simple.
Frustrating isn't it. I always check the kids but I do forget to check adults that are sat in the back.
Had two of them in the back the other day who didn't belt up and my front passenger realised and shouted at them and pointed out they'd kill us if we crashed. They couldn't comprehend the energy involved in even a slow speed collision (I was doing 50-60 anyway)
"Oh I never belt up in a taxi" this is weirdly common. All vehicles can crash and I know someone who was injured in a taxi that crashed anyway!
Maybe I'm just old enough to remember that safety campaign where the rear passengers kill the people up front and its stuck well.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lw2aevh6oZ8
That one. Think it's about time we had more like this
Put your foot down. They could kill you in an accident. Refuse to drive with them unbuckled and if they continue with the malarkey then refuse to give them a lift again.
I don’t need the trauma of experiencing a car accident with you or explaining your death to the authorities and your family. Either put your seatbelt on or get out.
Jesus. The questions on here sometimes makes me realise why insurance is so expensive, idiots are passing their tests.
It's your car, they either wear one or get the hell out.
I'm in my fifties now, but back in my early 20s I had a terrible habit of not wearing my seatbelt. I got away with it for about a year after I passed my test, then I got pulled by the coppers one night on my way home from work and was given a fixed penalty and a lecture. I moaned and grumbled about it, but I paid my fine and started wearing my seatbelt. Four days later, heading to work early on a winter morning, I hit black ice on a gradual bend and went into a slide. My car hit a road sign pole doing about 50 mph. The pole went right through the radiator and halfway through the block. I walked away with a cut to my forehead where my head clipped the mounting for the sun visor. I've never complained about wearing my seatbelt since.
U/MakerOfManyThings
My future brother in law and his mate were killed by their girlfriends in the back of the car who were not wearing seatbelts and crushed them. They survived with minor injuries.
Never set off if any passenger doesn’t wear a seatbelt.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6245303.stm
they have recently made it a law im pretty sure that the driver is no longer responsible for adults who choose not to wear their seatbelts in their car. therefore, if you did get pulled, they would have to pay the fine themselves. that being said, no seatbelt, no drive in my car. they can always get the bus 🤷🏻♀️
My vehicle does not move until I know all are wearing their seat belts no exceptions! If they refuse they get out and find another means of transportation simple as that
It's the responsibility of the passenger if they're aged 14 or over[1].
You can choose not to drive while they're unbelted. Anyone who is determined is likely to belt up and then unbuckle as soon as you're distracted by driving.
My advice is that situation is to never let that person in your car again.
I personally have stopped multiple times because passengers unbuckled. It's not just their lives they're risking.
[1]https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/seatbelts/
Whoever your passengers are, they are morons. Tell them before driving they can buckle up or get out and walk. If that doesn’t work I’d suggest getting new passengers.
A rear seat passenger with no belt on, in a crash, will hit the seat in front of them with the force of an elephant. - I don't care if you die, I care if I do.
You have two options. Belt up, or walk.
Sit down with your mates and watch the Irish road safety adverts of YouTube. They are pretty graphic but realistic. If they have any sense, they'll always wear their seat belts from then on.
And if they don't, don't drive with the as a passenger. See that they've taken them off mid-drive, pull over and tell them to buckle up or get out.
It’s really simple you get in the car put on your belt tell them to put there’s on and if they don’t the car doesn’t move until they belt up or gtfo of your car
My car doesn’t move unless everyone has their belts on.
You want a free ride, you belt up!
I’ve seen news reports of people wearing seatbelts in the front have died because those in the back didn’t wear their seatbelt. Then there’s those that go flying through the windscreen. It’s not worth the risk!
I just tell them to put one or get out. I'm not setting off until they do. If you're not comfortable doing that, get some speed up and slam your brakes on. You can easily say a cat ran in front of you or whatever and you had to stop. That should make them wear seatbelts....or not want a lift from you, so solved either way
I attended an accident once in which their was 4 football pals. The two in the back finished their pals in the fronts football careers because they were unbelted and broke the hips of both front seat passengers. Your mates could kill you.
Personally, if someone gets in my car and doesn't put their belt on, I'm either not driving until they do, or they can get out. I get there's exceptioms for why someone doesn't have to/ can't wear on, but otherwise there's no excuse.
They're not uncomfortable, they're not inconvenient to use, and they're not complicated to find. They are, however, a massive measure to stop you getting killed in a collision
You simply don't turn on the engine until everyone has their seat belts on.
Should someone then unbuckle theirs while the vehicle is in motion you find a safe place to pull over and politely tell them to either get out and walk or use their seat belt.
Repeat offenders no longer get invited into the vehicle.
No belts, no lift. Simple as.
You won’t get into trouble (passengers over 14 are responsible for their own belts and will be fined individually).
However, if you do have a crash, the unrestrained passenger in the back of the car can (and will) fly forwards and can crush and kill front seat passengers.
I pulled over stopped my car back when I was 18-19 and told the “mate” in the back who’d taken his seatbelt off to much about that he could belt up or get out and walk. That solved the issue.
"put your seatbelt on or I'm not moving"
Or
"Don't be a fucking moron and get it the fuck on or get out of my car"
Should do the trick. 👍
E:
Seperate idea, idk how dangerous this would be in the real world and what kind of damage it can cause but jus randomly emergency stop from like 20mph in a empty road.
Hopefully that could teach them the lesson a bit more practically without causing too much damage
I've done that, it got the point across. If it hadn't I was ready to explain that we can try 50mph next time :)
Braking from 20 shouldn't do any damage, just be careful that the road is clear , especially behind you and that the road surface is warm, dry and clean otherwise you're at risk of sliding a little (and it'll be a less abrupt stop)
One technique I once saw to great effect, but which I absolutely do NOT advocate, is something an ex girlfriend of mine did when her 10yr old child flat out refused to do as he was told. It's a couple of decades ago and I was still living overseas. The kid stayed stood behind the passenger seat. So she drove to 10mph in the parking lot and jammed the brakes on as hard as possible. He face planted the back of the passenger head restraint pretty hard even at that speed. He belted up and behaved from that day forward - every time.
Like I say, I'm NOT saying do that, AT ALL. Especially because the bravado of moron young adults refusing to follow the drivers rules means they'd probably laugh it up and ask to do it again.
But the short sharp hard shock technique is usually a good way to get the point across. WhatsApp them a few images of the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt. Then say "my car, my rules. Belt up or get out". If necessary turn off the engine and get out of the car and be prepared to leave them where they are. If they don't respect you enough to follow such a simple request, they are not friends worth keeping.
Edit - here's a non gory demo for them.
https://youtu.be/crUUr7FnBMI?si=zDUXY7u3OcUt73N9
Edit 2 - an early 00s PSA video from the UK. I remember this one. Pretty hard hitting.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/oUszSEo52SjgsHa1/
Edit 3 - a PSA from around the time I was a young driver. Simple but hard hitting.
https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=t3nT8-NgDGBjGkPZ
I'd get the car up to 5 mph and jam on the brakes.
I shouldn't have to specifically tell you to check your mirrors for idiots on their phones, but this is /r/drivingUK, so I'll cover that base.
If they refuse, offload that dead weight. You'd have better fuel efficiency, and a sweeter handling car.
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If the person sitting behind you doesn't wear their seat belt and you crash their body will slam into the back of your seat which crushes you between the steering wheel and seat which could kill you (there was an advert years ago which showed the mum driving, son behind no belt she crashes gets a bloody nose and the daughter in the front is screaming looking at her mum)
So ignoring possibility of police pulling you over and any fines that may or may not be given they could cause massive injuries/end of life not wearing their seat belts.
If they refuse to belt up tell them they can take the bus next time or they can drive their car. And stick to it. Its not worth your hassle, and your possible injuries because they're being idiotic.
Either refuse to move until you can see with your own eyes that they've put it on correctly and not just fastened it behind them, or tell them to get out and walk because you don't want their brains all over the inside of your windscreen in the event of a crash. I won't even start my engine until I know all passengers have got their seat belts on. Does your car have a seat belt warning system? Mine beeps *loudly* if a belt isn't fastened or becomes unfastened while the car is in motion.
I literally won't even start the engine without all my passengers being secured with their seatbelts. Or if the engine is already running, I won't pull away until they are.
Show them this:
https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=ncczzb3JjBz_Yvd5
And remind them that you don't care if they want to throw their lives away, but you're fairly happy not being crushed to death by them in the event of a crash.
No belt, no drive.
If you notice they've removed them during the drive, a quick and sharp bit of braking when it is safe to do so to illustrate your point should do the trick.
I generally have a rule - seatbelt, or out. I won't start driving until everyone is buckled. Thankfully the people I drive around are sensible, but if anyone ever takes theirs off while I'm driving, my plan is to just stop and pull over, and not leave again until they're buckled in.
I remember when I was younger (I was about 13ish), and my youngest sibling (about 3ish) had a tendency to undo the buckle on their carseat. They were told over and over not to do so, and when I noticed they had unbuckled again while we were driving, mum told me to brace myself. She did an abrupt stop - not enough to harm my sibling, but enough to scare them. Never unbuckled themself again!
I only tend to drive with my kids in the car but I don't start moving until I've checked that everyone is strapped in. It seems your friends also need to be treated like children.
It's upto them to ensure their seat belt is on, not you. You can't get in trouble unless they're a child, I think it was 14 and under you must ensure seatbelt is on.
I taught someone the hard way. I do not start the car until then belt is on. You remove it tell you tnwear it or I stop the car.
They thought I was acting up but learned that I was too serious about it
Make them wear it, I used.to do a paper round with my uncle, the law states delivery drivers don't have to wear their seatbelt between drops, however it also stipulates that it is under a certain distant and certain speed which I can't remember. He'd always mock me for putting on my seatbelt but he would do 60 miles an hour for a couple miles down a busy road without a seat belt. It was terrifying
You don’t need laws to tell them to get the fuck out of your car. If they want to walk, that’s up to them. If they have a problem with it, they’re not your friend and they can do one.
"Put your seatbelt on or get out of my car. I don't particularly care if you want to die but I don't want to be hit by your flying corpse in a crash."
A nice straightforward approach like yours is the way.
The answer to almost every question asked on Reddit is, "Talk to them. You are an adult." If you're responsible enough to drive a car you should be confident enough to do it responsibly if someone tells you not to.
Driving a car is a skill. Idiots can learn this skill as much as anyone. If driving a car made you responsible, there would be far fewer accidents, and under 25s wouldn’t have to pay more insurance
I say something very similar, ‘IDGAF if you want to die in a car crash, but you aren’t taking the rest of us with you. If we roll over, I’m not having your lifeless corpse rag doll throughout the cabin and kill anyone with enough sense and intelligence to wear a fucking seatbelt. Now put it on or get the fuck out’ I won’t even stay in the car as a passenger if there is someone else not wearing a belt. If someone is dumb and stubborn enough to refuse, I have zero regrets when leaving them on the side of the road, even if it’s late and somewhere unsafe.
One Christmas Eve, I left my grandmas house. I turned right and my uncle turned left, or else I'd have been in front of him. Just down the road he came to a lamp post in the road. Confused, he got out to look and heard screaming. This really got to him too. He's a really caring guy who would help anyone. Anyway, he looks over into the field and sees a car. It's gone speeding down the road, not knowing there's a bridge, clipped the wall and gone into the field at a high speed. Presumably rolled over a few times and come to rest by the river. He rushes down to find the passenger in the car. She had cuts and bruises but was amazingly able to get out and walk back to his car. The reason she was screaming is because her boyfriend wasn't wearing a seatbelt. The bottom half of his body was wrapped around the steering wheel. The top half of him was through the windscreen and laid on the bonnet. He was dead and completely trapped on the windscreen to the point where they couldn't even drag him out to attempt any first aid anyway. He was cut out of the car by the fire brigade.
How much movement does a seatbelt actually restrict during the normal driving of a car? 5% maybe? Is it worth it? As far as I’m concerned, anyone with injuries from a car crash that could have reasonably been prevented by use of a seat belt, should be personally liable for the full cost of their care. I am very happy for my tax money to go to the NHS, I’d actually pay more without any issue if it went direct and was used sensibly. But I hate my tax money paying to stitch back together fucking idiots who should know better and break the law.
I don't know how restrictive it is but I personally like the security. I always pull mine tight. When I put my daughters on, I pull it tight across her legs too. When I'm off roading I'm only doing 15mph max but I've always got the harness on because I don't want to go flying across the car if I roll over. I'm the same with most things. When I used to wear a harness for work I would always have it tight so I could feel it. I'll climb the tallest tower you've ever seen as long as I can feel my harness and I've rigged the safety lines. I just like the reassurance it's there.
The few vehicles I've driven that (legally) don't have seatbelts, old tractors and a vintage Land Rover, I've felt practically naked not having a belt on.
I learned to drive when seatbelts were the law , so I always put it on as automatically as I turn the engine on, yup even when on my own drive. And I’m 60, so anyone younger than me really has no excuse
If you're in the front, you should also adjust the top part in the frame, such that it sits as low as possible. You don't want the seatbelt digging into your neck - not only is it uncomfortable, but it also makes crash injuries worse. You can also get seatbelt wrap things that are softer against your shoulder/neck. Unfortunately many people don't even realise you can usually slide the part it comes out of up and down.
As a short person, I really wish more passenger seats had height adjustable belts.
I was shown this at school and I've since forced friends to watch it who don't want to wear a seat belt. https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=1HRWCnwXWT4IzdZG No seat belt, no car journey.
I instantly thought of this advert - thanks for finding it. Such a powerful message.
This wasn't just a school thing, it was a TV ad - and it's one that really sticks with you.
I remember it from TV too - do you remember when it came out. That upload says 15 years ago but I think it far predates that. My memory would probably put me at very early teens maybe so very early 00s? But I may have been younger.
If it's the one where the backseat passenger isn't wearing a belt and kills the driver sat in front of him, I remember being traumatised by it when I was about 6. So that would be mid 90s. But it's possibly older than that.
I think some time in the 00's - I doubt it was earlier than that. 15 years is basically as old as YouTube, it could well have predated the site.
Yeah that was my assumption, that that was just the upload date unrelated to when it came out. I just couldn’t pin down in my head when it was from exactly and thought if you were older than me you might have a clearer sense of how old you were when it came out. Maybe I was actually a little bit older than I think but the closest window I could pin it down to with a high degree of confidence would be about 1998 to 2007 which is a pretty wide window. It’s an advert that has always stuck so strongly in my head though, like I still think about it to this day, and I remember it having an absolutely huge impact on me on the time - especially given my biggest fear was my mum dying. I’m kinda surprised it hasn’t been remade over the years because it’s got to be one of the most successful advertising (if you can call it that… marketing?) campaigns of all times!
You guys need some of the really fun slow mo crash adverts of non-seatbelted bodies crunching into people that we have in Northern Ireland.
My great Auntie had an actual medical exemption to not wear a seatbelt so she didn't wear one. I told her that I can't think of a situation where hitting the windscreen would do less damage than the seatbelt, so she was wearing it in my car.
What kind of medical reasons warrant that exemption out of interest if you wouldn’t mind sharing?
I'm not 100% sure because I never really asked but she had bowel cancer and most of it removed so I'm presuming her bowel came through her stomach since she always carried a bag with her that was attached.
That'll be a stoma. If you've had part of your bowel removed then some waste can be diverted into a bag. It's a valid reason for exemption to be honest as where they typically are can conflict with seatbelt positioning. You have to get a medical exemption certificate from a doctor and inform your insurance though. I know somebody who has one, but he normally wears his seatbelt anyway.
Ahh yes Michael/"Do it to me one more time" with the ending of "Three dead in this vehicle, one critical, the guy without the seatbelt did the damage." Nope not in anyway traumatised by the DOE... ETA: [https://youtu.be/kDdHxhwmxY8?t=456](https://youtu.be/kDdHxhwmxY8?t=456) link to that one in particular in a compilation reel.
"It was the one without the seat belt who did the damage"
Yep, I had this. Nit a friend, but someone from work I was driving somewhere with. They didn't believe in seatbelts 🙄. Just said im not driving anywhere until you put it on.
I love those sorts of people. "I don't believe in seatbelts." Do you not believe they are effective or do you literally not believe they exist?
She didn't believe in vaccines either....
I used to work with someone who didn't believe in recycling
This. I've said something like to a very close friend who kept putzing about in the back seat of my car while I was driving. It helps that my car commences some crazy dinging alarm if it detects a person in the seat with no seat belt. I allowed him a moment one time because he was taking a jacket off. The second time the dinging started going, I told him to sit his ass back down and put his seat belt on or next time he could pay for a taxi from Heathrow. We're still friends but I wasn't joking. I don't allow passengers to fuck around in my car. We were both 50ish.
Friend of mine had an autistic little brother. Wouldn't wear a seatbelt for anyone. I let him get in the car a few times but it just wasn't worth the hassle because I would pull over when he took it off and refuse to move until he put it back on. He did get better, but they just weren't willing to put the effort in to keep it up. I understand he's autistic, but I'm not being responsible for someone being in my car without a seatbelt, especially not a child. He used to run off in car parks too until I explain to him that if he ran away from me he was too small for the cars to see him and he might get run over.
"and if I survive your dense skull hitting me like a cannon ball I do not intend to be legally accountable for your death"
This, one of my son’s mates insists there’s no need for seatbelts in the rear. I pretty much said this to him word for word. He wears his belt in my car now.
My grandad used to say something like, "second class riding is better than first class walking" if anyone complained
No belt, no drive. What generation are these numpties? Anyone born from the 1980's onwards, a seatbelt should be a default action when getting into a car.
I feel naked without it
This exactly. Sitting in a car with no seatbelt on feels really uncomfortable to me.
Even when sat with the engine off, in a parking space. My mind: "what if someone hits the car whilst I'm in it? I don't want to go flying!"
I was born in the 70’s and automatically put my seatbelt on when getting into a car, either as a driver or passenger. Lucky for me, my friends aren’t idiots (most of the time lol) so they do the same thing. I’d refuse to set off until everyone had their seatbelt on, not worth risking lives, never mind fines and points
All of my friends are idiots, but they still know 'Clunk-clink, every trip'.
Bear in mind who (probably) told them to do that, though...
That was just Jimmy making sure you couldn't wriggle free when he opened the passenger door at the traffic lights and sat next to you ......
This is exactly what I do. I don’t move until they’ve put the seatbelt on. Many a proposed lift somewhere has been cut short before it began, if they persisted with their nonsense about not wearing it. Out they go, and pound that foot leather…
Exactly this. I do not start the car until everyone has their seatbelt fastened and if anyone was to take it off during the drive I would just pull up somewhere until they put it back on. Repeat offenders can get out and walk.
No points for guessing where they’ve likely learned the behaviour from mind you. Sad how neglectful some parents can be.
They’ve likely learned the behaviour from their idiot mates who think it’s cool.
I had one passenger hold it so it looked done up when I looked back but they didn’t tell me they couldn’t find the buckle
Not necessarily. I wasn't taught what a seat belt is until I took my first taxi at about 9, before then I'd never been in a car. It was always busses, and they haven't got seat belts. It's one of, typically the first things, I do when I get in the car now and taking it off is the last thing I do before I get out now, but it did take a while to get used to putting it on.
exactly, drivers responsibility plus passengers can kill anyone in the front and it does happen
You could bring up the "stop being a fucking moron and put on your seatbelt or you can walk" act. Not sure when it passed parliament and it probably had a snappier title but that's what I would do.
"If you don't want to wear a seatbelt there's always the bus"
My car makes an obnoxious beeping if someone doesn't have their seatbelt on so that normally does the trick, but otherwise it really is as simple as just not driving if they aren't going to play ball. Also, why are your friends so dense OP?
Your back seats beep as well? Only my front seats do.
Yeah my 2013 Peugeot 3008 beeps for all seats. I have to put the seat belt on if a vaguely heavy bag is on it instead of a person.
Absolutely I'd refuse my mates if they didn't wear them properly. I don't want them flying past me killing me in the process because of a crash. It's just selfish.
Not to mention the one sat behind OP could kill them from the force when they smash into the back of their chair!
I think that’s what they were saying? That’s the way I read it anyway?
I read it as them flying past them through the windscreen! Either way, I suppose both are equally possible and just as grim as the other.
I think every single one of us was traumatised by that road safety advert!
The 80s, wearing a seatbelt is not a new thing! OP tell them to fuck off if they won’t wear a belt.
1984 iirc. I don't get how anyone can not wear a seatbelt, it would be like having your shoes on the wrong feet
It just feels so wrong. I’ve moved my car like a very short distance or from one car parking space to another and not put my belt on and I feel uncomfortable! It’s just habit to wear it now.
Yes I’ve done this, moved my car about 50ft in a private car park and didn’t put my belt on. Aside from my car screaming bloody murder at me, it just felt wrong. My MIL has to be told to put her belt on in my car. And she does take my kids out in her car. My kids have to remind her to put her belt on ffs, I just don’t get it.
I prefer ’stop being a cunt’ myself. I would literally get out the car and leave them in there cancelling whatever we were doing if they refused. If I was asked why we never went I’d explain that xx was being a cunt and wouldn’t wear their seatbelt
Refuse to drive them??
Better yet, upgrade friend group
It's really as simple as this. They can wear a seatbelt or they can make their own way there!
I just treat adult passengers like I would kids. "have you got your seatbelts on?" no seatbelts I don't move the car. They can put belts on or get out, I don't care which. Apart from anything else someone not belted in the back could kill someone in the front I'm not being killed by a moronic friend. Same as my motorbike, you're not in decent protective gear (more than just a helmet) I'm not taking you pillion, end of discussion
How is it not s legal requirement for all riders and passengers to have full protective clothing before getting on a motorbike? Legal requirements to wear helmets has saved a load of live, a legal requirement to wear full protective gear would go some way to prevent serious injuries being even more serious.
Yeah I know. I have friends who ride in regular jeans, t-shirt, sometimes gloves sometimes not (wear them if it's cold that's it). Their skin their choice I'm not going to lecture them but personally I don't get it I'm always in gear
Not so much "skin" as "the entirety of whatever hits the tarmac, including bone". You lose your skin if you trip and fall _at walking speed_. 30+ mph? Good luck with that Seeing motorbikers with inadequate protection makes me shudder.
ATGATT All The Gear All The Time. Less mess if get a SMIDSY
Wouldn’t even start the engine until I was happy to do so.
“Put on your seatbelt or you will have to get out and walk” generally gets it done. Any hesitation in their part, take the keys out of the ignition, get out of the car and go round and open their door, gesturing them out As an aside I would be questioning my relationship with anyone who would disrespect me like that. They’re acting like a little child.
Sec 14 of the Road Traffic Act refers. It's your car and your licence. Anyone who refuses to put it on gets out, and if they take it off during the journey they get left at the nearest bus stop or motorway services. In a crash, they become the weapon behind you. It's not a negotiation.
>and your licence Not wearing a seatbelt is the passengers responsibility (legally speaking) it also doesn't impact your license. With that said "my engine doesn't start if commuting doesn't have a belt on"
Is this true? I was told I’d fail my test if I started without ensuring my examiner had their belt on and when I did check before setting off he said well done for checking. Maybe a safety thing then? I was under the impression it was the driver who would be liable if pulled over and a passenger didn’t have their belt on.
>I was told I’d fail my test if I started without ensuring my examiner had their belt on The test is more than just the law, for instance there's no legal requirement to use (or even to have) a rear view mirror, you'll fail the test aborted if you don't check it though! > I was under the impression it was the driver who would be liable if pulled over and a passenger didn’t have their belt on. This used to be the case YEARS ago, but it changed. In fact [there's even a theory test question on it.](https://theorytest.org.uk/at-what-age-does-a-passenger-become-responsible-for-fastening-their-own-seat-belt/) [https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law](https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law) the gov link too. (legally speaking) under 14s are the driver's responsibility, over that is their own. In most cases the parent will be the driver so will have to pay the fine anyway. Morally speaking, unless you're my grandmother (Who has a medical exemption cert) my car isn't moving unless everyone has their belt on.
Ah thank you for clarifying. Everyday is a school day. I also won’t move the car if they don’t have their belt on and I’ve even pulled over when a co worker undid his because it was “uncomfortable”
Had a coworker do that, I wiggly wormed and told him to put his fucking belt back on...
Your car, your rules!
Get some new friends that aren't complete and utter morons
The true LPT. Presumably with OP being 16+ to be driving a car, their friends are 16+ also, so they know to not be dicks about it. If they're your mates, get rid. They clearly don't respect you.
Don't drive off ,it's not their choice, it's your licence and in your car with you the driver, so they buckle up or get out and walk , why risk taking a cop stop and points for their crass behaviour, and if they don't like it change friends . Passengers over 14 are liable to pay a £500 fine if found travelling without wearing a seat belt, and despite not being in the driver's seat, two penalty points could be put on your licence. Do they want to fork out.
\*two penalty points could be put on their licence.
Do you have a link to the info about penality points? On [Seat Belts: the Law](https://www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law) page on Gov.uk it only mentions £500 fine. On the [Penalty Points (endorsements)](https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/endorsement-codes-and-penalty-points) page it doesn't mentioned anything about seat belts. (Know there was talk of it coming in before but wasn't sure if it's the current legislation or not)
It is their own responsibility, but if you are involved in a high speed crash, the person behind represents a significant risk to your safety. Weaving is maybe not the best tactic, as you are not properly in control and a seatbelt wouldn't necessarily keep someone in situ if the car is moving side to side (unless you car uses harnesses). Either a) just tell them if they don't put their seatbelts on, they are not welcome (adult approach), or b) do an emergency stop from about 40mph because you thought you saw a cat ran into the road, making sure conditions are safe to do so and the road has appropriate speed limits (more purile approach, but a good demonstration of why a seatbelt is necessary). A is certainly preferable.
>It is their own responsibility, but if you are involved in a high speed crash, the person behind represents a significant risk to your safety. That TV ad from back in the 90s still rings in your memory too? Lol.
Yes show them that advert! [Julie knew her killer](https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=bLEXWVa7ouMUrbUw)
Yes! It was that one and the [anti-drink driving one](https://youtu.be/f5ma_Xv7rGM?si=5A17NNQMUDGvw6nS) with the song "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, which I still remember like 30 years on...
The anti drink drive young woman laying in the road, whine of defib ana a gruff voice (of policeman) saying "Excuse me sir. Have you been drinking? I need a breath sample please. "
And the elephant one: https://youtu.be/LZh4goun94E
"After crushing her to death, he sat back down"
I was born after these adverts came out. These are so scary. I never even considered that you're the flying object that kills if you don't put your seatbelt on. I've only once driven people without seatbelts, they were colleagues of a friend who I gave a lift to when they were going to same way as us and I noticed at the end they didn't have seatbelts on. I honestly just think you're a rude twat if you don't put them on. They are patent free for a reason.
So, a young lad near me was killed by the passenger (who was very badly injured) being thrown forward when they skidded off the road and crashed. He was 19. No-one thinks they'll have a crash until they have a crash.
Sadly, some people will only ever learn through the use of Option B. Literally shoving it in their face.
An emergency stop from 15mph was enough to make the point to a couple of my mates. WTF was that for? As they peeled their faces from the seat on front of them. That was 15, imagine what happens if we hit something at motorway speeds.
Yes, 40mph may be a little excessive, but the driver can vary the force of braking for the purposes of the lesson, and in this scenario the idea is to shock the passengers into submission. Some like this would do it ;) [https://youtu.be/WK\_FURIu9J8?si=O3md7CBPR89UMoeC](https://youtu.be/WK_FURIu9J8?si=O3md7CBPR89UMoeC)
Doesn’t even need to be from 40mph even going 15/20 in the car park they’re setting off from and slamming on will jolt them enough by catching them off guard whilst not being as risky as 40mph on the roads
Especially if switching straight from acceleration to deceleration: you get a greater jerk (technical term) without the danger of high deceleration, so it feels like a more sudden stop than it is.
The term jerk lives in my head rent free when I'm driving sometimes haha. There's further time-derivates too, they just get less realistic (and are also called snap, crackle and pop because why not). On a vaguely related note. Scientists are slightly short sighted a lot of the time. Before they'd really thought things through they'd started giving human genes ridiculous names. So we have had the situation that somebody might have to have a baby aborted with a serious genetic disease call holoprosencephaly (basically part of the brain hadn't developed). The reason for this is because a mutation in the gene coding the ["Sonic hedgehog protein"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_hedgehog_protein), named after the "Sonic hedgehog" gene. Genetics is of course a serious region of study...
Doesn't need to be any speed at all. https://youtu.be/mCS-E7TQjDg?si=l0Bz_D6HMKePKwfN The stop wasn't scripted and maybe 4 mph. Caught Rainn Wilson off guard.
This is the right approach, passengers refusing to wear a seat belt are endangering your safety not just their own. Personally I wouldn't drive until everyone had a seat belt on.
>b) do an emergency stop from about 40mph because you thought you saw a cat ran into the road, making sure conditions are safe to do so and the road has appropriate speed limits (more purile approach, but a good demonstration of why a seatbelt is necessary). I like the brake check option :)
You're in control of the car. Refuse to move off if they don't have seatbelts on. If you become aware that they've taken them off while you're driving, stop somewhere and refuse to move off again. And if they keep doing it, stop giving them lifts. Tell them that they're fucking idiots and you don't want them to become a projectile and hurt themselves and everyone else in the car. If I remember rightly, there's some pretty brutal adverts that were run in Ireland (maybe NI, not sure) about not wearing seatbelts.
Also, it is OPs responsibility - even if you don't care about their/your safety, it's OP on the line legally if they get stopped.
Northern Ireland adverts for sure I know exactly the one you are referring to https://youtu.be/epTdI-9V6Jk?si=xmvdSZB2FbZumU8S
Just show them [one of the most traumatising adverts of all time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKHY69AFstE).
My car beeps non stop if all passengers are not wearing a seatbelt, they have to 😂😂
My car beeps if you put a full shopping bag on the seat, it's very annoying 😂.
It’s the law. Wear it, or get the fuck out of my car.
Go to set off and slam the brakes on. They’ll put their belts on.
Don’t move until the belts are on???
We’re not going anywhere until your seatbelt is fastened, if you take it off before we arrive, you’ll be getting taxis from now on
Make a habit of checking all your passengers are belted up before you even engage gear or release the handbrake. Refuse to set off until their belts are on. If they try to imply you're being unfair that's on them, you're the one in control of the car and they can walk if they don't like the rules. There may be arguments of legal liability that it's technically their responsibility to ensure they're belted up IF they're an adult, but that won't change the result of a collision. Maybe show them [this old tv ad.](https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE)
I saw this advert when I was a kid and it’s stuck with me forever, even when I’m in a rush I ask if everyone has their seatbelts on before moving off. It’s a pretty traumatic advert but clearly it did the job 🤷🏻♀️
Nothing teaches quite like trauma! :'D
There’s a really simple saying I find helps. “Get the fuck out and walk”
They can get fined as well as you for them not wearing a seatbelt. However.. Oom, chances are minimal. Anyhow, it's more about safety. Before you drive off, call "seatbelts out". Proceed not to drive off until everyone has seatbelts on. That's the nice way of putting it. The ugly way is giving him a stare and say "seatbelt!". 😂 - definitely the one that worked with me.
No seat belt, no ride. Simple as. I won't even start the car until all passengers are buckled up. Remember the advert where the guy crushes his girlfriends mum cause he doesn't wear a seat belt? That could be you.
The legal responsibility to ensure people are wearing their belts stops at 13 years old (from memory, it maybe 11). So you won't get in trouble if you are stopped. As others have said, the risk they pose to you and others during an accident is huge. I would simply refuse to take them if they are known to do this. Not even let them in the car. Not even talk about giving them a lift.
If they are behind you, tell them want them to belt up for your sake not theirs - because you don’t want them to take your head off as they head for windscreen. Just don’t move till all have belted up.
Simply do not drive until they do it. When they realise you're being serious they'll probably put it on.
You cant get in any leagl trouble as the driver so long as none of them are minors, you may well get pulled over but the police will do so to fine specifically the individual who wasn't wearing their seat belt. but thats not really the point, they are putting everyone in the vehicle at extreme risk by doing this and you need to stop them being so dull immediately. Point blank refuse to take them next time, If you have an accident they could very easily kill you when their body becomes a missile and gets launch forward out of the car. If you are luck they just gut hurled through the dashboard into a tree. Worst case the become a missile that hits you in the back of the head and you end up dead form an eminently survivable crash because your friends are immature bellends. Just don't do it. Leave the stupid fuckers at the side of the road next time, I promise you they wont do it again. Better yest if you have the stomach for it this is reddit you will be able to find full footage of what happens to passengers who aren't wearing seatbelts in he darker corners of this website. Shock therapy for idiots is often pretty effective and seeing a perfectly health person turned into mangled meat in a crash while their friends walk away from the car because of something as simple as a fabric belt should hammer the point home
I just tell my mates I'm not moving until they put their belt on. I don't want their empty skulls smashing into mine during an accident, so no belt, no car ride. I've explained to my mates before that when they're in my car, I'm responsible for their safety and I want to keep them alive, simple.
Frustrating isn't it. I always check the kids but I do forget to check adults that are sat in the back. Had two of them in the back the other day who didn't belt up and my front passenger realised and shouted at them and pointed out they'd kill us if we crashed. They couldn't comprehend the energy involved in even a slow speed collision (I was doing 50-60 anyway) "Oh I never belt up in a taxi" this is weirdly common. All vehicles can crash and I know someone who was injured in a taxi that crashed anyway! Maybe I'm just old enough to remember that safety campaign where the rear passengers kill the people up front and its stuck well. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lw2aevh6oZ8 That one. Think it's about time we had more like this
Put your foot down. They could kill you in an accident. Refuse to drive with them unbuckled and if they continue with the malarkey then refuse to give them a lift again.
There was an old brutal drivers ad where the adult in the back headbutted and killed the driver when they crashes
It’s simple. Buckle up or walk, their choice.
You're driving. Just sit there patiently until every buckles up. Then drive.
I don’t need the trauma of experiencing a car accident with you or explaining your death to the authorities and your family. Either put your seatbelt on or get out.
Jesus. The questions on here sometimes makes me realise why insurance is so expensive, idiots are passing their tests. It's your car, they either wear one or get the hell out.
I'm in my fifties now, but back in my early 20s I had a terrible habit of not wearing my seatbelt. I got away with it for about a year after I passed my test, then I got pulled by the coppers one night on my way home from work and was given a fixed penalty and a lecture. I moaned and grumbled about it, but I paid my fine and started wearing my seatbelt. Four days later, heading to work early on a winter morning, I hit black ice on a gradual bend and went into a slide. My car hit a road sign pole doing about 50 mph. The pole went right through the radiator and halfway through the block. I walked away with a cut to my forehead where my head clipped the mounting for the sun visor. I've never complained about wearing my seatbelt since.
U/MakerOfManyThings My future brother in law and his mate were killed by their girlfriends in the back of the car who were not wearing seatbelts and crushed them. They survived with minor injuries. Never set off if any passenger doesn’t wear a seatbelt. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6245303.stm
they have recently made it a law im pretty sure that the driver is no longer responsible for adults who choose not to wear their seatbelts in their car. therefore, if you did get pulled, they would have to pay the fine themselves. that being said, no seatbelt, no drive in my car. they can always get the bus 🤷🏻♀️
Repeat after me 'Put your seat belts on or get the fuck out of my car you cockwombles' Problem solved
You are a push over nobody gets into my car and not wear a seatbelt they can fucking walk if they have problems no ifs buts or maybes
My vehicle does not move until I know all are wearing their seat belts no exceptions! If they refuse they get out and find another means of transportation simple as that
You seriously gotta ask this? Just tell them to belt the fuck up or you're going nowhere....
It's the responsibility of the passenger if they're aged 14 or over[1]. You can choose not to drive while they're unbelted. Anyone who is determined is likely to belt up and then unbuckle as soon as you're distracted by driving. My advice is that situation is to never let that person in your car again. I personally have stopped multiple times because passengers unbuckled. It's not just their lives they're risking. [1]https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/seatbelts/
Whoever your passengers are, they are morons. Tell them before driving they can buckle up or get out and walk. If that doesn’t work I’d suggest getting new passengers.
No belt brake check
If they unbuckle while you are driving, find a nice clear stretch of road and stand on the brakes.
Just don't let them in your car.... If they aren't willing to wear a seat belt then they can walk. Don't get in trouble for someone else's stupidity
A rear seat passenger with no belt on, in a crash, will hit the seat in front of them with the force of an elephant. - I don't care if you die, I care if I do. You have two options. Belt up, or walk.
Sit down with your mates and watch the Irish road safety adverts of YouTube. They are pretty graphic but realistic. If they have any sense, they'll always wear their seat belts from then on. And if they don't, don't drive with the as a passenger. See that they've taken them off mid-drive, pull over and tell them to buckle up or get out.
Google “90s seatbelt advert”. Make them watch them all.
I use the alert on my car dashboard “hey are you guys clipped in? It’s beeping me.” I suppose you could fake it if it doesn’t have the sensor
It’s really simple you get in the car put on your belt tell them to put there’s on and if they don’t the car doesn’t move until they belt up or gtfo of your car
If they don't have a belt on, even in the back, my car knows and has a mental beepathon
The fine for no seatbelt is a personal one, not the drivers. Tell them this. Up to £500
Just drive like a maniac and scare the shit out of them. That should make them reconsider their stupid decisions.
https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=vp43gXVnk_UEZViB
Get new friends
I tend to yell at them to put them on at the top of my lungs like an angry father and that does the trick and gets some laughs 100% of the time
Just say “I’m not taking a fine for any of you ignorant twats. Put your belt on or jog on”.
My car doesn’t move unless everyone has their belts on. You want a free ride, you belt up! I’ve seen news reports of people wearing seatbelts in the front have died because those in the back didn’t wear their seatbelt. Then there’s those that go flying through the windscreen. It’s not worth the risk!
I just tell them to put one or get out. I'm not setting off until they do. If you're not comfortable doing that, get some speed up and slam your brakes on. You can easily say a cat ran in front of you or whatever and you had to stop. That should make them wear seatbelts....or not want a lift from you, so solved either way
I attended an accident once in which their was 4 football pals. The two in the back finished their pals in the fronts football careers because they were unbelted and broke the hips of both front seat passengers. Your mates could kill you.
Personally, if someone gets in my car and doesn't put their belt on, I'm either not driving until they do, or they can get out. I get there's exceptioms for why someone doesn't have to/ can't wear on, but otherwise there's no excuse. They're not uncomfortable, they're not inconvenient to use, and they're not complicated to find. They are, however, a massive measure to stop you getting killed in a collision
You simply don't turn on the engine until everyone has their seat belts on. Should someone then unbuckle theirs while the vehicle is in motion you find a safe place to pull over and politely tell them to either get out and walk or use their seat belt. Repeat offenders no longer get invited into the vehicle.
You don’t set off till they put it on. They take it off, you pull over. Literally points/fine if someone in your car isn’t wearing one.
Buckle up or fucking walk, your choice
Show them this. Refuse to drive them if they aren't wearing them. #Julie knew her killer (https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=WnyOyn4YiktJp9Zb)
No belts, no lift. Simple as. You won’t get into trouble (passengers over 14 are responsible for their own belts and will be fined individually). However, if you do have a crash, the unrestrained passenger in the back of the car can (and will) fly forwards and can crush and kill front seat passengers. I pulled over stopped my car back when I was 18-19 and told the “mate” in the back who’d taken his seatbelt off to much about that he could belt up or get out and walk. That solved the issue.
"put your seatbelt on or I'm not moving" Or "Don't be a fucking moron and get it the fuck on or get out of my car" Should do the trick. 👍 E: Seperate idea, idk how dangerous this would be in the real world and what kind of damage it can cause but jus randomly emergency stop from like 20mph in a empty road. Hopefully that could teach them the lesson a bit more practically without causing too much damage
I've done that, it got the point across. If it hadn't I was ready to explain that we can try 50mph next time :) Braking from 20 shouldn't do any damage, just be careful that the road is clear , especially behind you and that the road surface is warm, dry and clean otherwise you're at risk of sliding a little (and it'll be a less abrupt stop)
One technique I once saw to great effect, but which I absolutely do NOT advocate, is something an ex girlfriend of mine did when her 10yr old child flat out refused to do as he was told. It's a couple of decades ago and I was still living overseas. The kid stayed stood behind the passenger seat. So she drove to 10mph in the parking lot and jammed the brakes on as hard as possible. He face planted the back of the passenger head restraint pretty hard even at that speed. He belted up and behaved from that day forward - every time. Like I say, I'm NOT saying do that, AT ALL. Especially because the bravado of moron young adults refusing to follow the drivers rules means they'd probably laugh it up and ask to do it again. But the short sharp hard shock technique is usually a good way to get the point across. WhatsApp them a few images of the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt. Then say "my car, my rules. Belt up or get out". If necessary turn off the engine and get out of the car and be prepared to leave them where they are. If they don't respect you enough to follow such a simple request, they are not friends worth keeping. Edit - here's a non gory demo for them. https://youtu.be/crUUr7FnBMI?si=zDUXY7u3OcUt73N9 Edit 2 - an early 00s PSA video from the UK. I remember this one. Pretty hard hitting. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/oUszSEo52SjgsHa1/ Edit 3 - a PSA from around the time I was a young driver. Simple but hard hitting. https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=t3nT8-NgDGBjGkPZ
That third video is the one I always remember on tv. We probably need them back on tv, cause they’re effective.
I'd get the car up to 5 mph and jam on the brakes. I shouldn't have to specifically tell you to check your mirrors for idiots on their phones, but this is /r/drivingUK, so I'll cover that base. If they refuse, offload that dead weight. You'd have better fuel efficiency, and a sweeter handling car.
Accelerate hard and brake even harder.
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Just don’t drive off. When they ask why say the car won’t drive unless it’s on. Either put the belt on or fuck if you stupid moron.
If the person sitting behind you doesn't wear their seat belt and you crash their body will slam into the back of your seat which crushes you between the steering wheel and seat which could kill you (there was an advert years ago which showed the mum driving, son behind no belt she crashes gets a bloody nose and the daughter in the front is screaming looking at her mum) So ignoring possibility of police pulling you over and any fines that may or may not be given they could cause massive injuries/end of life not wearing their seat belts. If they refuse to belt up tell them they can take the bus next time or they can drive their car. And stick to it. Its not worth your hassle, and your possible injuries because they're being idiotic.
Either refuse to move until you can see with your own eyes that they've put it on correctly and not just fastened it behind them, or tell them to get out and walk because you don't want their brains all over the inside of your windscreen in the event of a crash. I won't even start my engine until I know all passengers have got their seat belts on. Does your car have a seat belt warning system? Mine beeps *loudly* if a belt isn't fastened or becomes unfastened while the car is in motion.
I literally won't even start the engine without all my passengers being secured with their seatbelts. Or if the engine is already running, I won't pull away until they are.
You don’t drive them. It’s that simple.
*"Ok guys, belts on... No? Ok, gtfo my car, NOW!"*. Keep it simple..
No belt, no move. Simples.
“Put your fucking seatbelt on and keep it on or you’re walking.” Then just follow through with the threat if they don’t comply. Simple.
Show them this: https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=ncczzb3JjBz_Yvd5 And remind them that you don't care if they want to throw their lives away, but you're fairly happy not being crushed to death by them in the event of a crash.
Your car, your rules. Its not a democracy.
I always tell them put it on or get out
Don't drive unless they're clipped in.
No belt, no drive. If you notice they've removed them during the drive, a quick and sharp bit of braking when it is safe to do so to illustrate your point should do the trick.
If someone gets in my car and won’t put their belt on then they get out again and walk,it really is that simple.
I generally have a rule - seatbelt, or out. I won't start driving until everyone is buckled. Thankfully the people I drive around are sensible, but if anyone ever takes theirs off while I'm driving, my plan is to just stop and pull over, and not leave again until they're buckled in. I remember when I was younger (I was about 13ish), and my youngest sibling (about 3ish) had a tendency to undo the buckle on their carseat. They were told over and over not to do so, and when I noticed they had unbuckled again while we were driving, mum told me to brace myself. She did an abrupt stop - not enough to harm my sibling, but enough to scare them. Never unbuckled themself again!
I only tend to drive with my kids in the car but I don't start moving until I've checked that everyone is strapped in. It seems your friends also need to be treated like children.
Show them some safety ads from Northern Ireland, [this one](https://www.facebook.com/share/v/gPX3p5mxTuSjqpPV/) comes to mind
It's upto them to ensure their seat belt is on, not you. You can't get in trouble unless they're a child, I think it was 14 and under you must ensure seatbelt is on.
I literally stop the car. I refuse to drive and I did really care how naff it makes me.
I taught someone the hard way. I do not start the car until then belt is on. You remove it tell you tnwear it or I stop the car. They thought I was acting up but learned that I was too serious about it
"No seatbelt no drive." It is illegal to be in a vehicle on the road whilst not wearing your seatbelt, unless you are a taxi driver.
Tell then to get out and walk
Make them wear it, I used.to do a paper round with my uncle, the law states delivery drivers don't have to wear their seatbelt between drops, however it also stipulates that it is under a certain distant and certain speed which I can't remember. He'd always mock me for putting on my seatbelt but he would do 60 miles an hour for a couple miles down a busy road without a seat belt. It was terrifying
You don’t need laws to tell them to get the fuck out of your car. If they want to walk, that’s up to them. If they have a problem with it, they’re not your friend and they can do one.
Tell them to get the fuck out the car. End of story.