Call for better public awareness of coach seatbelt requirements

Operator’s concern over lack of knowledge by coach passengers after fatal incident

In the aftermath of the coach crash on the M53 motorway which killed the driver and a 15-year-old passenger, the owner of a UK coach company, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has voiced concern at the public’s knowledge of seatbelt laws on coaches.

This reaction comes in the wake of the Jessica Baker: Prevention of Future Deaths Report issued by Senior Coroner for Liverpool and Wirral Andre Rebello, which highlighted the absence of seatbelt use during the fatal incident.

The operator, representing a small company not involved in school contracts, expressed alarm at the apparent lack of awareness about the mandatory nature of seatbelt usage on coaches.

“It is amazing how many people don’t know this,” they say, pointing out that where seatbelts are fitted on coaches, passengers over 14 are legally required to wear them. The operator’s own practice includes a safety talk before every journey, emphasising the legal necessity of wearing seatbelts.

The recent M53 incident, where neither the driver nor the passengers, including the deceased Jessica Baker, were wearing seatbelts, as revealed by CCTV footage, has raised questions about traveller compliance with safety regulations.

The operator highlights a worrying trend of lax enforcement and ignorance among some passengers and operators in its own area: “I am quite appalled… most adults are not aware that they should be wearing seatbelts on a coach. Worse than that, some of our local operators have told passengers that they don’t have to wear seatbelts if they don’t want to, absolving themselves of responsibility. That is asking for trouble.”

The operator points out one incident from 1997, where seatbelts in one coach were slashed after the owner had insisted on their use by schoolchildren. This incident, along with the recent M53 crash, has raised fears of a potential crisis in the industry due to non-compliance with seatbelt laws.

“There’s going to be a backlash somewhere – either from the public or the operators,” the owner predicts, calling for clearer guidance from the coach sector’s various trade bodies and stricter enforcement from regulatory authorities.

Mr Rebello has stressed the need for action to prevent future deaths and believes that the Department for Transport and the Department for Education have the power to take such action. The report obligates a response within 56 days, by 30 November, detailing actions taken or planned, or explaining the absence of proposed actions.