Belt Auction

Are police allowed to drive without wearing seat belts?

Most of the police i see drive around whilst not wearing seat belts. Is this an offence for them? I know that there is traffic legislation stating that you are not required to wear a seat belt if driving a 'Crown Vehicle' however is a polcie officer classed as a 'Crown Vehicle' and why should they not be required to wear seat belts?

Public Comments

1. If transporting an arrested person in the rear seat they are, the seat belt could be used to pull tight around their neck.
2. no, it is not an offence for them, neither is speeding, running red lights, throwing litter from windows when they THINK no-one is looking, they can do all sorts of things and get away with it, they do have the badge, therefor most of them them feel they are u utouchable
3. lol, "whilst." Everyone needs to wear a seat belt. If a cop doesn't, who will give him a ticket?
4. They get to talk on their cell phone too
5. No, they're not: the statement about 'Crown Vehicles' is not true either, the only exceptions are on grounds of medical exemption.
6. YES they are allowed to do that. One example: if they chase a suspect car, they have to be ready to get out of theirs quickly when the suspect car stops.
7. The police are not considered to be members of the general public when they are working therefore traffic laws do not apply to them. That's why the can speed, drive wrecklessly, run stopsigns and stoplights, pass against a double line, and travel the wrong way down a one-way street. Common sense should tell you that they aren't required to wear seatbelts, and why. Suppose a cop was involved in a high-speed pursuit, would you want a seatbelt malfunction to be the reason the bad guy got away, say, on foot?
8. Yes if they are carrying someone in the back.
9. When the offence was first enacted police officers could only unfasten seat belts when transporting prisoners in car,there were other exemptions such as medical,delivery van drivers and taxi driver.Recently the Act was ammended and police officers in UK do not have to wear seat belts any longer.Police officers can overrule traffic signs also as the power to do so is stated in the Road Traffic Acts such as parking in no waiting areas,travelling wrong way in one way street,going through red lights etc.these are rights given for operational purposes and if you feel they are being abused you can complain.