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.- ~1.:rs .:.ind held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-seventh day of - ~-~ kiJ~ ~ t
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~ .· .. ,·' .·_. ·. : ,.. -. '[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8"0 ]
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. AN ,e..cT REQUIRING ..T_H~ MANDATORY COMPLIANCE

BY MOTORISTS OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC vEHICLES
_ .. To·:.usE · s£AT ._BELT DEVICES, ·AND ~EQUIRit·iG
VEHlCLE MANUFACTURERS TO INSTALL SEAT BELT
QEVICES IN ALL TIIEIR MANUFACilJRED VEHICLES
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Be it en·acied by th~ Senate and House of Representatives of the ~

Philipp.ine.s in Congress assembled: .
:,·

. · SECTION l; Short Title. - ' This Act shall' be known as the "Seat
· Belts Use Act of 1999.'~_ .:. - . -·
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SEC. 2. Decfaration of Policy. · - lt' is henhy declared the policy •
9f the State to sectµ·c and safeguard its citizenry, p;u~.cularly the passengers
arid drivers of private and. public:motor vehicles.- from the ruinous and . '

extremely injurious effects ofvehicular'accidents. Towards thjs ~nd, the

-. · State shall pllrs~e a more proactive and preventive approaCh in O(der to
sceure ~e safety of the passengers and ch}vers at all times with the .

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mandatory enforcement o'f ti1~ use .of seal belt dcvic-es by _the drivers
and front seat passengers of private and p ubHc motor vehic les.
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<: ~C. :: . Definition of Tenn . - For purposes of this ·A :-t, the
term:
(a) "Motorist" shall ref~r to ibc dnver of a motor vehicle. ·
(b) "Seat belrdevice" shall refer to any strap; webbing or similar
deviq: in tht" form of pelvic restraint or lap belt, upper torso restraint
or shoul,!cr strap Qr· a combination thereof de5igned to secure a pe~son
in a motor vehicle in .order t9 mitigate the results of any accident,
inQ!upiiig all necessary buckles and other fasteners, and all hardware
.esigned for installing such seat belt de\·ice in a motor vehicle. _
(c) "Motor vehicle" shall refer to both private and public motor
vehicle.· The term shall not include the tricycle and motorcycle.
-
(dj "Private
.
rriotor vehiele".
. .
shall refer to ariy of the f.ollowing:
(I) Any _motor v~bicle owned by individuals :mg j uridical persons
for private use; · from th~ issua.i).ce of ~e IRR by the Land Transportation Office (LTO)"
(2) Any motor vehicle owned by the Nntional Government or any
of its agencies, instrumentalities or pohllc:.... :mb<livisions, includirig
government-owned or -dontrolled corporations or their subsidiaries for
official_t}Se; and , .
(3) Any diplomatic vehicle.
. (e) "Public motor vehicle" shall refer to public utility vehicle or
vehicle for hire.
(f) "Motor vehicle of running engine" shall refer to a Yehicle as
stated herein, operating and standing on any road or thoroughfare with
engine ~ing.
(g) "Front seat passengers" shall refer to persons on board a
public utility vehicle seated at the right side beside the driver for public
utility_jeepneys (PUJs) and to passengers se~ted at the right side beside '
the driver and those at the first row immediately behind the driver in the
case of public utility bus_es (PUBs) and to pass.e ngers seated on the right
side beside the driver for private motor vehicles.
. . ~EC. 4 . Mandatory. Use of Se'at Belts. · - For their own safety,
the driver and front seat passengers of a public or private motor vehicle
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are reqt1ired to wear or· use their seat belt devices while inside a vehicle
of_ running engine on any road or thoroughfare: Provided, That for
pnv.a!e vehicles, except for-jeep>, jcepne , ::, \'an-:, buses and such other
pri ·a~c :·chicles as me.y be deter~. :ined ill ~·e Implemen~g· Ru!es an.I
Regulanons (!RR), front and back seat pas~::ogers are likewise required ·
to use their seat belt devi<,:es at all times. . .
In the case of public motor vehicles, the driver shall be required
to immediately inform and require the front seat passeng ers upon .
boarding a v~hicle of running engine io wear the prescribed sent belts.
Any passenger who refuses to wear seat belts shall not be allowed to
continue his/her trip.
For special public service vehicles such as school servici::s and
other similar vehicles as may be determined by the IRR, scat belt
devices should be provided and used by b oth drivers and front · sea~
passengers as defined herein and the'rust ~ ow passengers immediately
behind the driver_at all t.im~s while in~idc ·a vehicle of running engine.
Operational ll?Otor vehicles, both public ~and private; which are
not equipped with P,!! required .seat belt devices, are given one (I ) year
to retrofit approJ/riate seat belt devices in their vehicles.
. .- .
SEC. 5. Children Prohibited to Sit in Front Seat. - Infants anct/
or children with ag~s six (6) years and below shall be pro~~ited to sit
in the front seat~of any nvutlng motor·vehicle. · -: -"'
SEC. 6. ' Coverage. - This Act, in the interest of pubJic safo ty,
shalJ apply to drivers and front seat passengers of public and ,prh•ate '·
motor vehicles and other vehicles as may
be detennined bj( the IRR
thereon. · · · :~ ,- · ·
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SEC. 7. Provisions for Seat Belt. - This Act further requires cai
· manufact\Jrers, assemblers and distributors to ensure that seat belt devices
are properly installed before the distribution and sale of the said vehi~les
as determined by the IRR thereon: Provided, That manufacturers,
assemblers an\! distrib~tors of jeepneys may install a pc.Ivie restraint ~r
lap belt only in the driver's and front seat passengers seats and this -
shall be considered as substantial compliance with the req~irements of
this Act.
SEC. 8. Importation. - It shall be unlawful for any p~rson to
import.or caus~ the ·i mportation of any vehicle without appropnat~ ~d
operational seat belt devices as required her'.:;in and in accordance Wlth
the IRR thereon.
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..-· SEC. 9. Type of Seat Bell ·Devices Required. - 111e seat bell
devices required to be iastalled in all motor_ vehicles shalf"co!Jlply with
the standards and specifications established by the Bureau qf Pr?duct
Standards o(the Depart.inent pf Trade and Industry (DTI) in consultation
wi!.h theLTO oT the Department of Transportation and Comiminica_tions .
(DOTC): 'frovided, ·That. the seal belt devices insta~led)!1 imported
second-hand motor vehicles shall c~nfonn to the standards and
specifications of the !Jureau of Proquct Standards for pufP?ses of
importation and registration. .
SEC. 10. Registration . .- No new JllOt~r vehicle shallbe allow~d
initi:tl registration and succeeding renewal of registration "u nless it is
equipped with tlie necessary seat belt deyices. Renewal of registration
. of m-1.lse v~hiCles 0without necess!P}' seat belt devic:s sha~I !lot b7 allowed
· · one (1) year after the passage of the IRR as specified m Sec~1on 11 of
this. Act. For this pwpose, "the 'LTO shall include in fl?e implementing
a
. guidelines system of vehicle registration where compliance with Section
4 hereof is required. ~ - .. - · ~
;. : SEC. 1 t-·
fefiod of Implementation. - The LTO shall be the
'· ··· agency primarily re~J>onsible in the enforc'e ment and imple,m e.n tation cif
, th.i"s Act. WithiJ:i sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act; the LTO
.. ' ··shall formulate §11d. iss~e the nccessaiy implementing rules, regulations"
· an4 guidelines _and - sh~ll mobilize available resources to_assure the
· - effective iinplepientation of this Act: Provided, That the LTO or its
- . successor tas~ed with the implementation of this Act i:nay require- the
_ . ·use of special c;u- seats for infants, if it is deemed necessary: · ·
. - - '
. SEC. it. Penalties and Fines. - In the ~nfor:cemcnt of this
A.ct,
th_e L TO ~ball impose 'fines against drivers, operators, owners of vehicles,
,- manufacturers, assemblers, importers and/or distributors for violation of
th.is Act. _ safety and health value of seat belts to support the most effective ·
·- · . '!be folJowing "shall be the basis in defining fine. B.Q.d penalty
prov~1ons of the !RR to be promulgated pursuant to Section 11 hereof, ·
provided that six (6) months grace period shall be allowed to lapse to
conduct a nationwi~e infonnation cainpaign: · _ . organizations for the promotion of pu~lic ~afety awareness in observance
) of this Act · • ·
{l) On the driver
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. (a) For fai1ure to wear. the prescribed seat belt devices and/or
faili~~ t_o require hi;.· passengers to wear the prescribe~ mlt belt device,
a. nllDUJlWil fine d One hundred pesos (P 100) but ·DOt to exceea. Qne
thousand pesos (Pl,000} for the first violation;
. .
a minimum fine-of Two
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hundred pes~s (P200) but not t9 e~cccd Two .thousabd pesos (P2,000) -
.for the ~econd violation; and l! minimum fine of Five hundred pesos
(P500) kt not to ~xceed Fiye thou_s and pesos (p5,000) and s.u spension"
of driver's , license for a period _of on~ (I) week .for the third .. and
succe~ding viola_ t ions;
,·
• .-(b) .P_u blic utiOty · veh~~les shall post appropriate · signages ·
- instructing "front seat passengers to wear scat b~lti when inside the·
vehicle. Non-compliance hereof will hold both the driver and the operator
liaQ.le an~ shall be_fine~ a minimum·of11uee hundr~d pesos (P300) b!Jt
not to ·e xceed_TIU-ee thousand pesos (P3,000) for every violation; and
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- (2) On any manufacturer, as.sembte~, importer and distributoi for
every unit found without seat belt deviCes installed prior io its distribution
a
to the public, nilniinum·f'me of Five thousand pesos (P5,QOO) buf not -
to exceed Ten thousand pesos (Pl0,000) and suspension-of the license
to mariufactu.fe, ~ssemble, unport or distribute }or a. period of.one_(I)
year for the first violatio_n; a minimum fine of Ten ~ousand pesos
(Pl0,000} out not to exceed Twenty thousand pesos· (P20,000) and
suspen~ion Qf ~e lice~se to_man!.ifacture, assemble, import or distribute
for a, peri_od of two (2) ye~rs for ·the second vi9latioQ; 1µ1d a_:fme of ·
.Twenty th1fa:mnd pesos (P~0,000) bu~ .not !o ex~eed Fifty tho,u_sand
peso~ (P50,000} and. suspen~19n of the hcense to manufacture, assemble, .
·impart or distribute for a period of five ( 5) 'years for the third vio!atic~n. · ,
s~c. \~. : N~tionwide Publi; Iefo;,,ation Camp~i;,,. -:. . (·~; - ~e
LTO, in coordinatiop with th~ P~ilippine Information -Agency (PIA), ,
the Department ·of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) and prjvate
··agencies' and organizations, shall undertake a regular _natioo~ide
Information, Education and Cmntnunicntion (JEC) campaign for the _
attai!1Jll~nt of the 9bjectives of this Act .The campaign shall s~c~s ~e (
enforcement of this Act. · -
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. (b) _ The LTO, in coordination with the local goverument uni.ts,
shall likewise utilize the services of citizen grocps and CO!IlffiUDJty
-
. . (c) ncdines. that will be collected (or the enfo~~emen't ~f.this
Act shall be used exclusively for the implementation o! the prov1s1ons
of this Act, includh.g the n~i;cssary pro~otion campaign:; for ~e use of
seat belt de~ices. JW ·
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.SEC. 14.. Separability Clause. - If ~y provis~on, or part he~f.
i..; rield inva"~d or \~constitutional, the rem.,~ .tier of the law or provision
not oiherwi;;e affected shall remain vaL~ a.bd. subsisting. ....: ··. .
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SEc:· 15. Repealing Ciawe ..- Section 34, Arti~le IV of Republic .

Act No. ~136 is hereby amended and any law, executive order, decree,
i:;suance,.o'rdi.D.ance, rule and regulation or part thereof contrary or any
inconsist~nt with the provjsions of this Act is also hereby 1epealcd,
modified or amended ac;:cordingly. · ·. >-, · ·
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SEC. Effectivity Clau5e. - Tws Act' siiall take ~ffcct µn....e12

16.
(15) days after its publication in at least t~o (2)_national newspapers of
-
general circuliti~n:
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This Act, which is a consolidation of Senat~ Bill No..1137 ~id · -

...... , Hoiise Bill ,No. 7090 was
finally passed by ·senate and 'the HOO:ie ~ .. tlie
of Representatives on June 3, 1999 and Jun~ 2, 1999, respectivelt --
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-. \. ~ecretary of the Senate
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Approved: ·.· A~G _C51999

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