I think I would rather wear the belts in the back of my CSW as I would rather have a potential spinal injury than go straight through the windscreen or crushing the person in The 2nd or first row seats. If there are seat belts fitted then you are an idiot if you don't use them.
 
chezvegas said:
I think I would rather wear the belts in the back of my CSW as I would rather have a potential spinal injury than go straight through the windscreen or crushing the person in The 2nd or first row seats. If there are seat belts fitted then you are an idiot if you don't use them.
Click to expand...

If e force of impact was enough to throw you through the windscreen then by wearing a seatbelt you would pretty much gaurentee your going to die. There are many reports available on the dangers of seatbelts with side facing seats and they all pretty much come to the same conclusion. I will also add that if you had ever seen the aftermath of such an incident you would be convinced, I will go with what my father has told me and that it's more dangerous to wear them, he is a fireman of 25 years experience and has seen a few times what happens with and without, it's not pretty when your bottom half is restrained and your top half experiences in excess of 50g, you have more of a chance surviving going through the screen!


chezvegas said:
I found this online as well in regards to the legal side of it.
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publicatio...-a-van-to-carry-passengers-in-the-rear-qa.pdf
Click to expand...

Q. Can side facing seats be fitted?
Our advice is that passengers are safest in a forward or rearward facing seat equipped with a lap belt or, preferably, a three-point belt.
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. You should also 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.
Click to expand...

I think that pretty much agrees with what the majority on here have said...
 
Hmm that has put this in to a bit of a dilemma for me, I don't doubt your dads experience but what about them going forward and crushing the person in the seat in front?

I have only needed to use the side seats once with adults that choose not to wear them.
 
Last edited:
chezvegas said:
What about them going forward and crushing the person in the seat in front?
Click to expand...

Always a possibility but even with a seat belt on the top half of the body will still impact whoever is infront as there is no restraint to the upper parts of the body...

Bottom line is they are dangerous either way, high speed crashes your ****ed either way, low speed a seatbelt will increase whiplash injuries, if your worried then fit forward facing seats...
 
Jongould said:
You should have contested it, he doesn't know the law correctly, to be honest there are many traffic officers who don't know the law 100% and they fill in the blanks with what in their mind should be the rules! You can contest and you would win. With motor vehicles they have to comply to the original conditions of construction and not the latest set of regulations, this is why pre 87 vehicles have no side repeaters e.t.c.

As for the seatbelts, lap belts on side facing seats are highly dangerous and should be removed from the vehicle. if you was in an RTA then the belt would keep the waist from moving and exert massive sideways forces on the pelvis and spine, the whiplash generated would also cause massive muscle damage. It is alot safer to 'take the impact' than to be restrained, neither is a great option and for that reason many people fit forward facing seats. I personally have kept my benches but then they get used about once every two months and always by adults who understand what they are letting themselves in for!
Click to expand...

I know !!! but the police round here don't take lightly to back chat an you can very easily fine yourself in the back of a police van Stitched up for some public order offence so it's a lot easier to just say ok officer round here they make the law up as they go an if you don't like it well that's tuogh **** their attitude is , well see you in court

They make the law instead of upholding it


ask mr frosty lol
 
redhand said:
If you'd bothered to do a search you'd ahve found that it is illegal to place a child in a non approved child restraint.
Click to expand...

I didn't just wander straight on here expecting you guys to do all the work for me, I'd done plenty of searches up front and found many different opinions hence me asking on here.

Sounds much clearer now, the grey area is slightly paler :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Defender 90 rear bench seats
Replies
2
Views
1K
Tom84123
T
lightning
Value me this 110
Replies
14
Views
492
lightning
lightning
L
Disco 3 (LR3) Discovery 3 front heated seats
Replies
2
Views
194
LR-hobbs
L
ryan_1993
Understanding a few 1990s Land Rover Trim/Options for the CSW (Research)
Replies
11
Views
2K
Stevetheplant
S
FlyingPete
Disco 1 Rear-facing child seat
Replies
2
Views
798
FlyingPete
FlyingPete