Postby 323tuner » November 28th, 2014, 10:36 am
Hi Tuners,
I would like to know whether the after-market 3-point, 4-point or even 5-point seatbelts/ harnesses are illegal when used while your vehicle is in motion in Trinidad and Tobago. I have been doing some research and have not came across any info on this topic. Your normal vehicle seatbelt is 3 points however I have been stopped by police officers on 2 occasions while wearing my 4 point seatbelt and was questioned about why I wasn't wearing my seatbelt that came with the vehicle, they actually asked me to open my car doors and inspected the points of attachment. By the way, my 4 point seatbelt is attached to the original anchor points that the original seatbelts used. I need some clarity on this because I wasn't charged on both occasions due to "they" saying that they would be lenient however it's a nuisance to me. A child/ baby restraint is a 4-point/ 5-point harness in the baby car seat and a child's car seat is mandatory for a vehicle with more than one row of seats as stated in the Law:
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO as of December 2013 with respect to seatbelts, Chapter 43A. :-
*43A. (1) Every—
(a) private motor car;
(b) public service vehicle;
(c) goods vehicle; and
(d) rented car,
not exceeding a maximum tare weight of 3 000 kilogrammes,
subject to such exemptions as may be prescribed, brought into, or
assembled in Trinidad and Tobago shall, before such motor
vehicle is registered, be fitted with a seat belt for the driver and
for every passenger who may occupy a front seat of such vehicle
and such seat belt shall form an integral and not an optional part
of the vehicle.
(2) The seat belt referred to in subsection (1), shall be so
designed as to provide restraint for both upper and lower parts
of the trunk of the wearer and shall be of the type prescribed—
(a) by reference to design, construction or other quality;
(b) by reference to different classes of vehicles, different
descriptions of persons and different circumstances,
save that in a motor vehicle authorised to carry two
passengers in the front the seat belt affixed to the
middle front seat need not provide restraint for
the upper part of the trunk of the wearer.
(3) The Licensing Authority shall, before the registration
of any motor vehicle referred to in subsection (1), satisfy himself
that the provisions of that subsection and of any Regulation made
in pursuance of subsection (2) have been complied with and may
refuse to register any motor vehicle which in his opinion fails to
satisfy all or any of those requirements.
(4) The Minister may make Regulations for the
purposes of subsection (2).
43B. (1) Every person who is the registered owner of any
motor vehicle referred to in subsection (1) of section 43A shall
have such motor vehicle fitted with seat belts of the type referred
to in subsection (2) of section 43A.
(2) The registered owner of a motor vehicle referred to in
subsection (1) who contravenes the provisions of that subsection
is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction for a first
offence to a fine of four thousand dollars and on any subsequent
conviction to a fine of eight thousand dollars.
43C. (1) The driver and every passenger seventeen years of
age or more occupying a front seat in any motor vehicle referred
to in subsection (1) of section 43A shall wear a seat belt while the
motor vehicle is in motion.
(1A) The driver of a motor vehicle referred to in
section 43A(1) shall not without reasonable excuse drive a
vehicle while there is in the front seat of the vehicle a person who
is not wearing a seat belt.
(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of
subsection (1) or subsection (1A) is guilty of an offence and
liable on summary conviction to a fine of two thousand dollars.
(3) A person shall not be convicted under this section if
he proves that at the material time he or the passenger, as the case
may be, held a valid certificate signed by a legally qualified
medical practitioner to the effect that it is inadvisable on medical
grounds for him or the passenger to wear a seat belt and the
certificate shall be valid for a period of not more than two years
from the date of issue.
(4) The Minister may make Regulations exempting
persons from the provisions of subsection (1).
43D. (1) The driver of a motor vehicle referred to in
section 43A(1) shall—
(a) not, without reasonable excuse, drive his vehicle
while there is in the front seat of the vehicle a
child of five years of age and under; and
(b) ensure that a child—
(i) under six months of age, be restrained in a properly fastened and adjusted,
rearward facing child restraint;
(ii) over six months and under four years of
age, be restrained in a properly fastened
and adjusted, rearward facing child
restraint or a forward facing child
restraint that has an in-built harness; and
(iii) over four years and under five years of
age, be restrained in a properly fastened
and adjusted, forward facing child
restraint that has an in-built harness or an
approved booster seat that is properly
positioned and fastened.
(2) The Minister may by Order prescribe the type of
child restraint and booster seat referred to in subsection (1).
(3) Subsection (1)(b) shall not apply to the driver of a
public service vehicle.
(4) The driver of a motor vehicle who contravenes this
section commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction
to a fine of two thousand dollars.
(5) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not be guilty of
an offence under this section—
(a) if he proves that the child held a valid certificate
signed by a medical practitioner to the effect
that it is inadvisable on medical grounds for the
child to be placed in a child restraint or booster
seat and the certificate shall be valid for a period
of not more than two years from the date of
issue; or
(b) where there is only one row of seats in the vehicle..
Last edited by
323tuner on November 28th, 2014, 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
