New seat belt laws aimed at reducing casualties will come into force on 1 May 2008. They will replace earlier legislation which exempts delivery vehicle users from the requirement to wear seat belts when making local rounds of deliveries or collections.

Environment Minister Arlene Foster said: "Drivers and passengers in goods vehicles undertaking deliveries or collections will only be exempt from the requirement to wear seat belts if distances between deliveries or collections are 50 metres or less."

The former legislation was not well understood and many goods vehicle occupants assumed incorrectly that they were not required to wear seat belts, irrespective of the distance travelled.

Although seat belt wearing in motor vehicles is at an 'all time high' of 95%, at least 25 of the 87 vehicle occupants who died in 2006 were not wearing seat belts. Forty three van or light goods vehicle occupants were killed or seriously injured in that year.

The Minister added: "There is no valid reason why the safety of delivery drivers and passengers should continue to be compromised through their failure to wear seat belts. Prescribing a distance of 50 metres between deliveries or collections after which a seat belt must be worn should enable those engaged in genuine 'door to door' deliveries or collections to benefit from the exception."