CALIFORNIA LAW Re: Seatbelt requirements while delivering newspapers

Officer,
The California law which requires seat belts to be worn when operating a motor vehicle exempts a newspaper carrier while on his or her route. This exemption first appeared in AB27, lines 33-40, which became law in January of 1985. Also attached is the wording in the current Traffic Code.
It is certainly not the intent of this letter to attempt to tell the police officers when they can or cannot write tickets. Neither is it intended as a recommendation to our employees that they not wear seat belts. We strongly urge our drivers to wear seat belts whenever possible while on their routes.
Still there are circumstances under which seat belts are unduly restrictive, as we wish to point out that delivering a newspaper route was acknowledged by the authors of AB27 as such an instance.
We sincerely appreciate your consideration of these facts as they pertain to our delivery driver.

California legislature--1985-86 regular session ASSEMBLY BILL December 3, 1984 No. 27 Introduced by Assembly Member Willie Brown (Principal co-author: Assembly Member Farr) An act to add Sections 12810.2 and 27315 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 27, as amended, W. Brown. Vehicles: mandatory seatbelt use. (1) Existing law does not require seatbelts to be worn by drivers and passengers in motor vehicles, although children under 4 years of age or 40 pounds in weight are required to be secured by a restraint system meeting prescribed federal standards or by seatbelts, as specified. / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 33 (n) This section does not apply to a person actually 34 engaged in delivery of newspapers to customers along 35 the person's route if the person is restrained by 2 safety 36 belt prior to commencing and subsequent to completing 37 delivery on the route.

California Traffic Code

Safety Belts: Requirements

27315.
(a) The Legislature finds that a mandatory seatbelt law will contribute to reducing highway deaths and injuries by encouraging greater usage of existing manual seatbelts ...........

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

(b) This section does not apply to a person actually engaged in delivery of newspapers to customers along the person's route if the person is restrained by a safety belt prior to commencing and subsequent to completing delivery on the route.

© CAND 1993. Do not reproduce without permission, except Members for their private use.

ADM- 3 replacement