Seat belts and child car seats

When you need to wear your seat belt

You must wear a seat belt if you’re driving or a passenger in:

cars
small goods vehicles such as a van
minibuses
medium-sized goods vehicles (MGVs)
heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you’re found not wearing a seatbelt when you should.

Exemptions from wearing a seat belt

You do not need to wear a seat belt when you:

drive a vehicle for the delivery or collection of goods or mail and you constantly leave and re-enter the vehicle because of the proximity of the delivery and collection points
drive a vehicle while reversing
supervise the holder of a provisional licence while reversing
are engaged on the duties of a cab driver
hold a valid medical exemption certificate
occupy a seat not fitted with a prescribed seat belt and is not required to be fitted with a prescribed seat belt
are a disabled person and your disability means it would not be practicable for you to wear any of the prescribed belts in the vehicle

More exemptions as detailed in the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts by Adults) (Jersey) Order 2009.

Child car seats and seat belts

All children must wear a seat belt or have an appropriate child car seat when in a vehicle.

As the driver, you’re responsible for making sure children in your vehicle are travelling safely.

Appropriate child car seats include:

rear facing baby seats
forward-facing child seats
booster seats
booster cushions
Isofix seats
i-size seats
lie-flat seats

They must be suitable for the child’s weight and must carry a BS Kitemark or a UN 'E' mark, plus a manufacturer’s label showing the weight for which it has been designed.

Check with your vehicle manufacturer's recommendations on the use of child seats when airbags are fitted.

Airbags and child car seats on ROSPA

Child's age or height	Front seat	Rear seat
Under 3	Appropriate child car seat must be used	Appropriate child car seat must be used if available
3 to 11 and under 1.35 metres tall	Appropriate child car seat must be used.	Appropriate child car seat must be used if available. If not, an adult seatbelt must be worn
Aged 12 to 13 or younger and over 1.35 metres tall	Adult seatbelt must be worn	Adult seatbelt must be worn

When a child does not need a seat belt or car seat

A child may not need to wear a seat belt when they:

have a medical exemption certificate
are a disabled child wearing a disabled person’s belt
travel in a specific vehicle and suitable car seats or seat belts are not available as detailed in the Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts by Children) (Jersey) Order 2020