Seat belts (1 Viewer)

Geoff Green

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Hi. We have a motorhome with only the 2 front seats with seat belts. We need to take a friend in the motorhome, can he seat on the side facing seat bench whilst travaling without a seat belt. will this be agaist the law.

Thank you for your help .:Blush:
 

Jim

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Hi Geoff, no you won't be breaking the law. You risk breaking a few heads though::bigsmile:
 

pappajohn

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If seatbelts are fitted they must be used...if not fitted how can you use them :winky:

a rear facing seat without belts would be preferable to a side seat, even with belts

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Terry

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The last two posts are right and wrong ::bigsmile: If your van is pre 2007 (aprox sept)then you do not need belts but after you do.No belt no passengers :Eeek:THEN again I have never know or heard of anyone getting done for the odd passenger :winky:
terry
 
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Depends on the age of your motorhome, The following article may help to explain this complicated situation http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/motorhome-faqs.shtml#seatbelts

You also need to be aware that you have a duty of care to the passengers in your vehicle; in the event of an accident should they be injured you could be liable to pay compensation for injuries received and your insurance company may not be willing to cover this.

Having said that you are not breaking the law if your vehicle was built before October 2007 and I am sure your friend would not be inclined to sue you for compensation in the event of a minor accident, but at 20mph your friend could not only be injured but could also injure those in the front seats.

Drew
 

Jim

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The last two posts are right and wrong ::bigsmile: If your van is pre 2007 (aprox sept)then you do not need belts but after you do.No belt no passengers :Eeek:THEN again I have never know or heard of anyone getting done for the odd passenger :winky:
terry


I know that in 2007 they required belts fitted to all travel seats. And it was going to be passed as you say in 2009, but it did not happen. AFAIK its still not against the law as per my post above even in a new vehicle.

After an accident, if unbelted passengers were hurt they might seek a prosecution for dangerous loading of the vehicle, also the insurance company would shut the door on any claim.

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Terry

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I know that in 2007 they required belts fitted to all travel seats. And it was going to be passed as you say in 2009, but it did not happen. AFAIK its still not against the law as per my post above even in a new vehicle.

After an accident, if unbelted passengers were hurt they might seek a prosecution for dangerous loading of the vehicle, also the insurance company would shut the door on any claim.

Hi Jim I think (it is my understanding) you will find that it is illegal on vans converted after late 2007 to carry passengers without belts :Eeek: I stand to be corrected but after 2007 they were required to fit seatbelts for all passengers :Smile: A bit stupid as they make 6 berth vans with only 4 belts :Doh: and 4 berth with only 2 belts :Doh::Doh:::bigsmile:
terry
 

Terry

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Depends on the age of your motorhome, The following article may help to explain this complicated situation http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/motorhome-faqs.shtml#seatbelts

You also need to be aware that you have a duty of care to the passengers in your vehicle; in the event of an accident should they be injured you could be liable to pay compensation for injuries received and your insurance company may not be willing to cover this.

Having said that you are not breaking the law if your vehicle was built before October 2007 and I am sure your friend would not be inclined to sue you for compensation in the event of a minor accident, but at 20mph your friend could not only be injured but could also injure those in the front seats.

Drew

I know that in 2007 they required belts fitted to all travel seats. And it was going to be passed as you say in 2009, but it did not happen. AFAIK its still not against the law as per my post above even in a new vehicle.

After an accident, if unbelted passengers were hurt they might seek a prosecution for dangerous loading of the vehicle, also the insurance company would shut the door on any claim.

Well I stand to be educated :thumb: - Having read Drew's link and Jim's interpretation I now agree that the law was not changed ::bigsmile:So are the manufactures on dodgy ground making 4 berth vans with only 2 belts ? or are they encouraging people to take unbelted passengers ?I suppose it is one of them cases were the law is an ass ::bigsmile:Where are the legal boys and what is there views on this ?Given Jims last statement could/would the insurance be able to shut the door on a claim ?On one hand it is OK to carry unbelted passengers but on the other you are not allowed

terry
 
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autoswan

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If it was compulsory to only be allowed to carry belted passangers only then how would the costs affect public transport busses, trains etc !!!

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FULL TIMER

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If it was compulsory to only be allowed to carry belted passangers only then how would the costs affect public transport busses, trains etc !!!

They would probably get an exemption, look at the amount of standing pasengers allowed as well. We have done work on small private coaches and ambulance service patient transport vehicles and all thier seats had to have setbelts fitted on type approved seats, as for motorhomes I know they were talking of bringing some new laws in , the jist of which was that any seat in the rear compartment that was to be used for passengers also had to be fitted with three point seat belts and also type approved, they also had to be marked as a designated passenger seat. Being involved with various vehicle conversions To me this seems to be a very sensible idea if not expensive as a passenger flying the length of a motorhome in the event of a sudden stop or collision even at a low speed is as good as dead along with any other person in the way
 

autoswan

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They would probably get an exemption, look at the amount of standing pasengers allowed as well. We have done work on small private coaches and ambulance service patient transport vehicles and all thier seats had to have setbelts fitted on type approved seats, as for motorhomes I know they were talking of bringing some new laws in , the jist of which was that any seat in the rear compartment that was to be used for passengers also had to be fitted with three point seat belts and also type approved, they also had to be marked as a designated passenger seat. Being involved with various vehicle conversions To me this seems to be a very sensible idea if not expensive as a passenger flying the length of a motorhome in the event of a sudden stop or collision even at a low speed is as good as dead along with any other person in the way

Agreed they would prob get an exemption but anyone standing or seated unbelted would have the same chance of sustaining injuries no matter what vehicle thier in so i think all vehicles should be fitted with belts to every seat as a compulsory requirement and no standing either .

I have side facing seats in the rear so a bit more complicated if there was a reletivley simple/cheap way of adding a way to secure passengers seating/belts to rear cabs then some inventer/engineer/entrepreneur could make a fortune.
How about one or more main fixing points for up to 4 climbing type harnesses designed to allow a bit of give on impact as to reduce jolting but stopping you flying along the cab to be worn by passengers :Eeek: Dragons den anyone ?:ROFLMAO:
 

Terry

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It is easy to fit lap belts to side seats :winky:You cannot fit 3 point types as they garrotte the wearer in a shunt :Smile:
terry

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autoswan

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It is easy to fit lap belts to side seats :winky:You cannot fit 3 point types as they garrotte the wearer in a shunt :Smile:
terry

I read somewhere that lap belts to side facing seats can cause harm by twisting the wearer in a bump also anchoring them would seem a big job ?
 

Terry

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Ho AS you are supposed to only fit lap belts to side facing seats :winky: it is 3 point that cause injury to necks and spine-the lap belt keeps the wearer in place,it may damage the hip/waist but no neck harm and no bodies flying around -- dead easy to anchor the belts to the floor if no suitable place on the side wall -I know on my van I can easy tec bolt them to my walls -not that I have bothered because any passenger is usually laid on the bed ::bigsmile:
terry
 
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Jim

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On one van we had, we successfully used forward facing lap belts with very young kids because the baby carrier/seat was designed and tested to be effective with both 3 point and 2 point seat belts.

On our present van, which was made in 1999 we have 4 factory fitted 3-point belts with forward facing seats. Driver, Front seat passenger and the window seats of the dinette) The dinette aisle side seats have two point belts, but we would have happily used this with proper child seats designed for two point belts. Had we had this van in the early 90's I might have been able to talk Siân into having more kids::bigsmile:

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