Seat Belts In Conversions (1 Viewer)

[Yorick]

Mine is a conversion from a 2005 Jumbo Transit. At the moment is has 2 seats with seat belts, but would like to know the legality of carrying other passengers.

I remember reading something about campers built before 2005 being exempt, but can't quite remember what (oops)

Does this relate to the actual vehicle being built before 2005, or the conversion ?

We sometimes carry a mate in the back with windows closed, but only on short journeys.

We would like to take a couple of young nephews to the coast for a weekend, but need to be within the law.

Where do we stand ? (or sit)

If we do need seatbelts, we don't really have anywhere to fit normal ones. Is there a way around this?


Thanks in advance

 

[FULL TIMER]

Mine is a conversion from a 2005 Jumbo Transit. At the moment is has 2 seats with seat belts, but would like to know the legality of carrying other passengers.

I remember reading something about campers built before 2005 being exempt, but can't quite remember what (oops)

Does this relate to the actual vehicle being built before 2005, or the conversion ?

We sometimes carry a mate in the back with windows closed, but only on short journeys.

We would like to take a couple of young nephews to the coast for a weekend, but need to be within the law.

Where do we stand ? (or sit)

If we do need seatbelts, we don't really have anywhere to fit normal ones. Is there a way around this?


Thanks in advance

I'm sure Jim has an article on here somewhere about the laws re seatbelts etc, it gets worse / better( depending on your point of view) the newer the van, I believe the seats used for passengers even have to be designated as passenger carrying and type approved now but not sure when that came in.

 

[FULL TIMER]

Just found this post that geo made, might help..........

Seats in the rear of a camper van/Motorhome did not, prior to October 2007, require seat belts (whether forward, rearward or sideways facing) and it is not illegal to carry unrestrained passengers in them while travelling, providing the vehicle is not overloaded. It is not something we would recommend, however.
Although current seat belt wearing regulations do not currently prohibit carrying more passengers in vehicles than there are seat belts available, the police may prosecute drivers for carrying passengers in a manner that may injure someone.
We would advise that no-one should be carried in any unbelted seat in the rear of a Motorhome.
An EU Directive (2005/40/EC) on the installation of seat belts required that from 20 October 2007 new vehicles have to have seat belts fitted on all seats except those seats intended solely for use when the vehicle is stationary.
Where seat belts are fitted, from May 2009, the seat belt wearing Directive will prevent more passengers being carried than there are seat belts in the rear of vehicles. This will mean that from May 2009, in any vehicle of whatever age, where seat belts are fitted in the rear, more passengers may not be carried in the rear than there are seat belts available.
The critical point for owners of older motor homes is that it will not become illegal to carry passengers in the rear, provided that no seat belts are fitted to any seats behind the driver and front passenger seats. Owners of any Motorhome that has belts fitted to any seat in the rear will need to be aware that, from May 2009, it will be illegal to carry passengers in any unbelted seats.

Geo
Credit due to the original authors--- UK motorhomes

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[Yorick]

Cheers for that.

The 2007 thing confuses me a bit. I wonder if it is the vehicle date, or the conversion date ?

 

[Minxy]

Cheers for that.

The 2007 thing confuses me a bit. I wonder if it is the vehicle date, or the conversion date ?

I should think it relates to the date the vehicle was first registered, ie new, regardless of whether it is an old model of vehicle or not ... but I'm only guessing!

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the 'sense' of carrying people, especially children, in vehicles without seatbelts ... if I had kids I wouldn't let them go in any vehicle without being belted securely in the seats. If I choose to travel in a vehicle without seatbelts that is my choice, but when it is a child the adults have to decide for them ... if something then happened I doubt they would want that on their conscience!