Seat belt fines: how much you will have to pay for driving unbuckled
Kyiv • UNN
In Ukraine, drivers and passengers are fined 510 hryvnias for an unfastened seat belt. In the event of a traffic accident, the penalty increases to 8,500 hryvnias, even in taxis.
Many drivers and passengers perceive the seat belt as a formality, even though its use is regulated by traffic rules. A fine can be issued for a trip without a fastened seat belt, and liability is provided not only for the driver but also for the passengers. UNN explains what rules apply in Ukraine, who can be fined, and why seat belts remain one of the most effective means of protection during a road accident.
What seat belt rules apply in Ukraine
According to paragraph 2.3 of the Traffic Rules, to ensure road safety, the driver is obliged, among other things, in vehicles equipped with passive safety features (headrests, seat belts), to use them and not to transport passengers who are not fastened with seat belts.
There is an exception that allows drivers and passengers with disabilities, whose physiological characteristics make it impossible to use seat belts, as well as drivers and passengers of operational and special vehicles, not to fasten their seat belts in populated areas.
This obligation also extends to passengers. In particular, paragraph 5.2 of the Traffic Rules states that a passenger must, while moving in a vehicle, use passive safety features (headrests, seat belts, where their installation is provided for by the design) (except for passengers with disabilities whose physiological characteristics make it impossible to use seat belts), and on a motorcycle or moped - a fastened motorcycle helmet.
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What is the fine for an unfastened seat belt
According to Part 5 of Article 121 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, violation of the rules for using seat belts entails a fine of 30 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens, which is 510 hryvnias.
Also, if a road accident occurs and the driver was unfastened, the fine will range from 2,400 to 8,500 hryvnias.
According to the legislation, fines are also imposed directly on passengers who violated the rules. It is worth noting that the driver, who is responsible for the safety of the trip, can also be fined for the passengers. Therefore, everyone will have to pay 510 hryvnias to the state budget.
Rules for using seat belts in taxis
There is still a popular opinion that you don't have to fasten your seat belt in a taxi. But this is not true. Due to innovations from 2020, all road users must use seat belts while driving, with the exception of specific cases involving disability and the performance of special tasks.
Previously, paragraph 2.3 of the Traffic Rules stated that "it is allowed not to fasten a person who teaches driving if a student is at the wheel, and in populated areas, in addition, drivers and passengers with disabilities whose physiological characteristics prevent the use of seat belts, drivers and passengers of operational and special vehicles and taxis."
However, in 2020, this norm was changed.
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Why seat belts are important for protection during a road accident
Some drivers do not use seat belts while driving, believing that airbags will protect them. However, belts are important because they hold the driver and passengers in place, which reduces the risk of injury during an accident.
In particular:
- the use of seat belts reduces the risk of hitting vehicle elements during a collision, which is the cause of the most severe injuries;
- seat belts help airbags to deploy effectively;
- seat belts reduce the possibility of injuring other passengers. In particular, this applies to persons in the back seat who can harm those sitting in front;
- seat belts prevent being thrown out of the car or suffering additional injuries in the event of a rollover.