Is it Legal?

Nigel-S said:

The maximum number of people (inc. driver) will be the number of seats stated on your registration document, this must tally with what you tell your insurance company when the policy starts. In other words, a series 3 landy (for example) will probably state '3 seats', even though there's room in the back for half a dozen passengers. A 5 seater Discovery (for example) carrying 7 people and involved in an accident would not be insured as the insurance has been invalidated by the extra 2 passengers.

Nigel.

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What happens if (Like on a hell of alot of Series and Defenders) the number of people is not documented on the V5.....?

goonarmy said:

so you wanna turn it into a crew cab utilty thing(like rattys)?

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If thats what Ratty has done but not seen his motor, just fancied a smaller area to maybe heat up quicker and somewhere to put some speakers too

MrJC said:

As above.... bottom line is if some fooker sitting in your tub with a bit a canvas as protection gets hurt your in deep ****. You want to lose your house, car etc?? Make em walk!!! even on private land

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like i said in my post it is a genuine csw with 3 front, 3 middle and 2 padded bench seats fitted but i didnt know the law about seat belts.

could have sworn i saw a link on here somewhere but just couldnt find it

Saw this on another forum from the DFT

"Our advice is that passengers are safest in a forward or rearward facing seat equipped with a three-point seat belt. Seat belt anchorage points should be designed so that they will be capable of withstanding the high forces of an impact and seat belts must comply with the latest British or European standards and be marked accordingly with either the 'e', 'E' or BS 'Kitemark'. We strongly recommend that they are professionally installed by qualified persons (such as a commercial garage or seatbelt specialist).

Although side facing seats, with or without seat belts, are not illegal, we would not advise that they are used. This is because seat belts are not designed to be used with such seats. In the event of an accident, seat belts on these side facing seats may help to prevent the wearer being thrown around the vehicle or from being ejected, but in a frontal crash they can increase injury risk by subjecting vulnerable parts of the body to higher loads than seat belts used on forward facing seats.

If you intend to carry children aged 12 years or under, the seat belt wearing regulations require them to use a suitable child restraint. You should bear in mind that child restraints cannot be fitted to side facing seats. In order to fit the required child restraints, you would need to have forward or rearward facing seats with full three-point seat belts. "

They also advises me that:

The Department [of Transport] cannot give an authoritative interpretation of the law; that is a matter for the courts.

Mseries3 said:

What happens if (Like on a hell of alot of Series and Defenders) the number of people is not documented on the V5.....?

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On the old type log books the number of seats were not necessarily stated, then when the V5's were introduced the info from the log book was transferred onto the V5 at the next 'change of ownership'. Because the old type log books didn't carry all the info, only a limited amount of info could be carried forward.

However, an insurer is still able to check the number of seats the vehicle was designed for, and in most cases the Series Land Rover's the seating arrangement was for 3. In the case of the old 'Safari' it will be 10 seats or 12 seats (depending on the variant).

If you were to modify your 'Series' Land Rover ie extra seats, you would still be required to notifly DVLA and your insurer even though the number of seats are not stated on the V5. If you fail to notify your insurer/DVLA and you needed to make a claim, its likely that the claim would be invalidated as it will be assumed the vehicle had not been modified and still a 3 seater.

Nigel.

Nigel-S said:

However, an insurer is still able to check the number of seats the vehicle was designed for, and in most cases the Series Land Rover's the seating arrangement was for 3. In the case of the old 'Safari' it will be 10 seats or 12 seats (depending on the variant).

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I can remember 20 or so years ago...... I tried to insure a 12 seat S3 as I was under 21 I had to remove seats, untill I was 21, thats tought me one thing always check with the insurers..... or you could be in the 5H1T.

Dont leave it to barrack room lawers in here, get it from the insurers, if you cant be covered with the motor and you need more seats, simple get an other landy with more seats.

Get it right, it it goes tits up and you lose everything cause some one sued you too late to start crying, they may be friends but there relitives an't.

Big Stu 12 said:

I can remember 20 or so years ago...... I tried to insure a 12 seat S3 as I was under 21 I had to remove seats, untill I was 21, thats tought me one thing always check with the insurers..... or you could be in the 5H1T.

Dont leave it to barrack room lawers in here, get it from the insurers, if you cant be covered with the motor and you need more seats, simple get an other landy with more seats.

Get it right, it it goes tits up and you lose everything cause some one sued you too late to start crying, they may be friends but there relitives an't.

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Good advice there buddy