The DGT abolishes a rule from decades ago: starting today, thousands of professionals will no longer be able to drive as before.

01/10/2026 13:00

Updated to

01/10/2026 13:00

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Starting today, October 1st, one of the most well-known exceptions still in effect under the General Traffic Regulations is being removed. Taxi drivers operating within cities will now need to fasten their seat belts during trips, just like any other driver, after the reform approved by the government last June came into effect.

And note that this change goes far beyond taxis. The new regulations also remove this privilege from certain commercial vehicle drivers who perform delivery work and those engaged in driving instruction, groups that until yesterday could skip wearing seat belts under specific circumstances related to their professional activities. The DGT confirms that starting today, they must wear seat belts at all times.

Three exceptions are eliminated starting today

The amendment affects Article 119 of the General Traffic Regulations, which previously outlined various situations in which these professionals were exempt from wearing seat belts. Taxi drivers could drive without seat belts while on duty within urban areas, whereas delivery workers could do so during consecutive loading and unloading tasks carried out in nearby locations.

There was also an exception for driving school instructors and examiners when accompanying a person during driving lessons or tests and sitting in a seat from which they could access the vehicle’s additional controls. With the new wording, these exceptions are removed, and the requirement to wear seat belts now applies equally during the course of their professional activities.

The reform retains only a few exceptions related primarily to emergency services. Among them is the continued allowance for certain passengers in ambulances providing medical assistance to not wear seat belts when they need to attend to the patient inside the vehicle during an emergency. Taxis also retain the option to transport children under 135 centimeters in the back seats without a suitable restraint system in urban areas.

A measure that raises doubts among some of the taxi industry

The removal of this exception has long sparked differing opinions among professionals. Some believe that wearing a seat belt enhances protection in the event of an accident, while other drivers point to difficulties associated with jobs that involve numerous stops, climbs, and descents of the vehicle throughout a single shift.

Another concern raised within the industry relates to night shifts and potential conflicts with passengers, as some professionals feel that seat belts may restrict their ability to move in case of an attack or robbery attempt. However, the new regulations do not provide a specific exception for such situations, and starting today, seat belt use is now mandatory even for these professionals.