This might help you
In the UK:
All vehicles manufactured since 2001 must have seat belts fitted for each passenger. If you have added seats (via a campervan conversion) you are outside of this law.
Selt belts must be used whenever fitted, with no exception.
It is highly advised to fit seat belts to all forward facing seats.
It is highly advised to never let passengers travel in side facing seats, as the effects of whiplash and other impact related injuries are very severe from the side
Do passengers in the back have to wear seat belts?
The short answer is:
No, you do not need to fit seat belts for passengers in the back.
However, if you are carrying passengers in the back you must discuss and declare this to your insurance copany. It is very likely that your insurance company will not let you travel with passengers in the back unless they are in forward facing seats and have a 3-point seat belt.
If there are seat belts they must be worn.
It is not advised to travel seated sideways in the back.
I contact the Department of Transport in the UK and they gave me these guidelines:
"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.
Guidelines for fitting seat belts
Regarding the laws about fitting seat belts, ultimately it comes down to the MOT test.
The MOT tester has to decide if the seat belts are fitted safely. The seat belt test criteria is that each seat that requires one has one, and that its mounting point and the 12" surrounding it are not corroded excessively. However if it is mounted to a 1/8th plywood floor at cant be corroded, so it passes. This means, in essence that the real serviceability of a mounting is outside the MOT testers remit.
It's a bit vague isn't it?
To cover yourself, consider this
1.Go to an MOT testing center and ask the tester what seat belt work would be considered necessary for your camper van to pass it's MOT.
2.Most seat belts in the front of panel vans, have a standard belt mounted by the door, and a seat belt receiver (that the belt clips into) on a long arm. You can buy these used seat belts cheaply on eBay.co.uk. You can then fit the long receiver arm through your wooden seat frames, mounting the receiver arm on the metal floor. This is a very solid fitting.
Download the following PDF, which should help
http://www.dvtani.gov.uk/uploads/publications/general/retrofit.pdf
.Top ..Sat, 2009-09-12 11:44 #1 .darren5312
.Top ..Tue, 2009-09-29 19:33 #2 .Fash
Offline
Joined: 2009-09-09 Seatbelts
So if I ws to fit 2 seats in the back of my van, rear facing. I don't need belts to be legal?
I'd like to think i'd put belts in anyway, but with regards to MOT and legalities etc...
.Top ..Fri, 2010-02-19 16:43 #3 .Alex (not verified)
seatbeltlaws
i have a type 25 vw camper and want to carry passengers in the back but it has no seat belts could i get pulled over for this
contact me at :
alexwilcox1@live.com
.Top ..Sat, 2010-02-20 09:15 #4 .Darren
Offline
Joined: 2006-04-01 The current guidelines
The current guidelines suggest you will be fine, assuming your vehicle was made before 2001, which I'm guessing it was.
.Joined: 2006-04-01 Hi Dave I have revised the
Hi Dave
I have revised the information above, in the first post, after hearing back from the Department of Transport.
Basically you can carry passengers in the back, without seat belts, as long as your insurance company agree it, and the police do not consider it dangerous.
.Top ..Fri, 2010-04-09 10:57 #7 .Anonymous (not verified)
seatbelt law
Hi all.
If a seat is fitted after 2001 you should also fit seatbelts. Case law states that seats fitted after this date have to comply with the law set in 2010 and have seat belts. The police know when the seats were fitted as once the seat and belt has been fitted they have to go for a SEAT BELT SAFETY TEST carried out by VOSA. You then have to re register with the DVLA showing how many passenger carrying seats it now has and how many passengers it can carry. You must then have another MOT as the vehicle has changed (how many passengers you can carry)
The above mention of side facing seats is accurate. You dont need belts!!! However they can only be used by adults. Children under 12 years old have to be in correct child seats or booster seats, these have to be forward or rear facing with belts. Also please remember that when you register your vehicle with the new number of seats make sure your driving licence allows you to carry that many people. My licence allows me to carry 16 people but my wife who passed her test a year after me can only carry 7 passengers. So make sure you only register the vehicle to carry the amount of passengers that you are licensed for. If you carry to many people then you are driving otherwise than in accordance with your licence. Your insurance will be void and you will end up with hefty fines and points on your license and possibly court or disqualification. No insurance carries 6 points and £200 fine added to vehicle seizure bills you will tot up over £500 in a few minutes.
.Top ..Sun, 2010-04-18 14:15 #8 .Anonymous (not verified)
seat belt
Yes you would have to re register the vehicle with the extra seats otherwise you would be using it for reasons other than it was registered for. Your insurance would probably be void then. You also have to be sure that your license covers you to drive with the amount of seats that the vehicle has. If not your insurance will be void. penalty for not having insurance 6 POINTS AND £200 FINE PLUS VEHICLE SEIZED WITH RECOVERY BILL TO PAY WHEN RELEASED THIS RANGES FROM £150 FOR CARS TO THOUSANDS IF BIG VEHICLES
.Top ..Wed, 2010-06-23 18:39 #11 .Anonymous (not verified)
Lap belts and children
.Top ..Thu, 2010-06-24 08:39 #12 .Darren
You need 3-point seat belts to secure your childrens booster seats.
See the legals here:
Child Car Seats : The Law
.Top ..Tue, 2010-07-06 09:47 #14 .Darren
I went through this some time
I went through this some time last year and after research there is only one safe way to carry other passengers and that is front facing with three point seats belts and seats that have been tested to UK standards. (Think it's called N1 standard, or something like that).
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