Taxi drivers given until 14 January to ‘clip every trip’ |

Taxi drivers given until 14 January to ‘clip every trip’:

NSW taxi drivers have an extra two weeks to “clip every trip”, with Monday 14 January the date that they will become covered by the state’s seatbelt laws. The change ends an exemption that, since seatbelts became compulsory in NSW in 1971, has allowed taxi drivers to operate their vehicles without buckling up. Drivers were initially to be included in the law from 1 January, but were given two weeks extra to prepare for the change. “We wanted to be sure all drivers had time to be notified of the change and to prepare for that in whatever way they needed to,” Centre for Road Safety General Manager Marg Prendergast said. Drivers will be contacted via industry organisations and unions to explain the law change and what it means for all drivers. “This change will protect taxi drivers from injury in a crash,” Ms Prendergast said. “State-wide, less than two per cent of all motori...

Full article: http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/taxi%20dri...