2. Safety Belts
You must wear safety belts at all times the
vehicle is in motion. When driving a long life
vehicle (LLV), you must wear the lap belt and
shoulder belt whenever the vehicle is in motion.
Exception: When shoulder belts prevent you
from reaching to deliver or collect from curbside
mailboxes, you may unfasten the shoulder belt,
but never the lap belt.
Please explain this grievance from 2015 away.
Mr. Joey Johnson
Director of Labor Relations
National Rural Letter Carriers'
Association
1630 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3467
Re: E06R-4E-009288606
Class Action
Marysville, WA 98271-9998
Dear Joey:
On March 10, 2015, the parties discussed the above-captioned grievance at the fourth
step of our contractual grievance procedure.
The issue in this grievance concerns whether a rural carrier is required to wear the
shoulder belt between curbside mailboxes when completing mail delivery from a righthand drive (RHD) vehicle.
After reviewing this matter, we mutually agree that no national interpretive issue is fairly
presented in this case. Handbook P0-603, section 171.51b(1) states in part, "Carriers
driving RHD vehicles equipped with both shoulder and lap belts may disengage the
shoulder belt only in those situations when the shoulder belt prevents their ability to
deliver or collect mail from curbside mailboxes. The lap belt must be worn at all times
the vehicle is being operated."
The parties agree rural carriers are not expected to continually unfasten and fasten the
shoulder belt when traveling between mailboxes in situations when the shoulder belt
prevents their ability to deliver or collect mail. In these situations, the safety conditions
listed below should be considered before making a determination to leave the shoulder
belt disengaged:
• Distance between stops
• Traffic density and weather conditions
• Road design characteristics, such as number of intersections traversed, road
shoulder width, and surface conditions
• Other factors affecting safety such as the speed limit
It is important to stress, under no circumstances are rural carriers to operate an RHD
vehicle without the lap belt securely fastened.
475 L'ENFAnn PLAZA SW
WASHINGTON DC 20260-4101
WVVVV.USPS.COM
Please sign and return the enclosed copy of this letter as your acknowledgment to settle
this case and remand to the parties at Step 2 for further processing as necessary.
Time limits were extended by mutual consent.
Reggie W. Rabon
Labor Relations Specialist
Contract Administration (NRLCA)
National Rural Letter Carriers'
Association
Date: _3_- _10_-_2-_o _15 ___