Uzbekistan Allows Exemption from Seat Belt Use for Certain Medical Conditions

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Health has approved a list of diseases and medical conditions under which the use of a seat belt in a vehicle is deemed impossible.

The relevant provision is set out in the government resolution “On Approval of the Traffic Rules,” under which citizens who hold a medical certificate confirming the presence of the specified conditions are permitted not to use a seat belt.

The list includes fractures of the clavicle, sternum, shoulder girdle, and ribs, as well as surgical interventions related to fractures of the left clavicle, nonunion of the left clavicle, and compression fractures of the spine.

Exemptions also apply to patients with severe pulmonary diseases, including stage IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stage IV bronchial asthma, interstitial lung diseases, as well as individuals who have undergone partial or complete lung removal, such as lobectomy or pneumonectomy.

The approved list further covers stage III chronic heart failure, severe cardiovascular diseases, grade III obesity with a body mass index of 40 or higher, short stature below 150 centimeters, neurological conditions that limit movement of the arm or shoulder, severe allergic and dermatological diseases affecting the chest area, the presence of internal or external implants in the clavicle, sternum, shoulder, scapula, or rib area, previous open surgeries of the chest or abdominal cavity, the presence of a stoma, and large neoplasms of the chest.

Medical certificates are issued for a period of one year, with the exception of individuals who have had part or all of a lung removed and persons of short stature, for whom certificates are issued on an indefinite basis. In cases involving fractures or surgical interventions, the validity period of the certificate is determined individually and may range from two months to one year.

Electronic medical certificates with a QR code are issued through the “Electronic Healthcare” information system and are provided by the primary healthcare institution to which the patient is registered or by the medical organization where treatment was received.

In addition, a primary healthcare institution may issue the certificate on the basis of a medical opinion from a non-state medical clinic where the patient underwent treatment.