Boss refusing to fasten safety belt
My boss does not like fastening his safety belt when he sits in the front when I am driving. Every time I drive, I get stopped by the traffic police who punish me by making me pay a fine for driving while a front seat passenger has not fastened the safety seat belt. How does the law protect an innocent driver who advises his boss to fasten a safety seat belt but the boss refuses?
PP, Moshi
A driver commits a traffic offence under section 39(1) of the Road Traffic Act [Cap.168 R.E 2002] if he drives a motor vehicle while a person sitting in the front- seat has not fastened the safety belt. Unfortunately, the law does not give any excuse to a driver whose boss refuses to fasten the safety seat belt. Where the boss refuses to fasten the seat belt, the driver should not drive because if he does, he will be committing a traffic offence. Moreover, your boss cannot fire you for not driving in such circumstances.