Police Actively Checking Seatbelts Last Week

Whether you were out on the road in an HGV, passenger vehicle, or van, driving without a seatbelt could have got you in trouble last week. Police agencies were out in force, actively checking on seatbelt usage all across Europe as part of an annual campaign to increase safety and consumer awareness. Last year’s campaign revealed more than 100,000 drivers not complying with seatbelt law.

The European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL) was behind the weeklong campaign. According to HGV Ireland, participating police agencies set up safety checks at random locations around Europe. Drivers were stopped and observed for seatbelt use, with those in violation receiving the appropriate penalties. The online magazine further pointed out that seatbelt safety is for children as much as it is for adults. Among the 104,838 violations observed last year, some 3,200 pertained to children being improperly restrained.

TISPOL President Koen Ricour told HGV Ireland that wearing a seatbelt is the single most effective way to reducing serious injuries and fatalities related to car accidents. This is true regardless of the type of vehicle being driven. That is why safety belts are required for passenger cars, vans, LGVs, and HGVs alike. Ricour went on to say that it is the responsibility of the vehicle driver to make sure every passenger is probably restrained with a seatbelt.

A Minor Inconvenience

The HGV Training Centre sees the seatbelt as the minor inconvenience when compared to how much safer it makes driving and riding. It is worth a few extra seconds of your time to buckle up before you pull away. And the one time you fail to do so could be that one time you end up in a serious car crash. It just does not make sense not to wear your seatbelt.

The proper use of the seatbelt is something we talk about during our HGV, PCV, and van driving classes. As far as we are concerned, discussing it is part of any commercial driver training that claims to be comprehensive in nature. We talk about it because we are fully committed to the concept of ‘safety first’. Drivers who complete our training are fully versed in what the law requires regarding safety. They also have the skill necessary to operate safely at all times.

The HGV Training Centre is proud to be a leading supplier of training for HGV, LGV, and van driving. We also offer training for forklift trucks, horseboxes and horsebox trailers, caravans, coaches, buses, and heavy construction equipment. We invite you to contact us for more information about your commercial driver training needs. We work with both individual drivers and companies looking to provide training to all of their drivers.

Fleet managers need to be aware that we also offer CPC driver training as well. Make a point to get your drivers trained and certified as quickly as possible. The September 10 deadline will be here quicker than you know it. Classes will be filling up the closer we get to September.

Sources:

HGV Ireland – http://www.hgvireland.com/03/10/seatbelt-enforcement-checks-to-take-place-across-europe/