CoolHands Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 '93 County 90. Has rear bench seats fitted, but no seatbelts. What is the law re: carrying passengers? I know if seatbelts are fitted passengers must wear them, but what if no seatbelts are fitted? Also, if I buy and fit some (which I will) is it just lap-belts I require? I want to know the law as me fitting belts will be less urgent if passengers aren't required to wear them if the vehicle didn't have them fitted originally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameslwt Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 IIRC sideways facing seats do not have to have seatbelts fitted by law. Are the seats mentioned in your insurance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 There is quite a thread on this here somewhere, have a quick search through. In nutshell, if the seats are original and there were never seatbelts then no, they're not required. If the seats have been fitted later then they might need belts, '93 sounds like it should have had belts from new but that's just a guess. If belts were originally fitted and they've been removed then they are needed I think. If you're carrying children - those that need a booster seat by law (aged under 12yrs or less than 135cm tall - check those, could be a bit wrong) then they're not allowed in sideways facing seats at all - belts or no. If you are fitting belts then they should be lap only, for some reason normal shoulder belts aren't recommended for sideways seats 'cos they don't work properly or something. HTH John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 If no seatbelts fitted from vehicle build, then they are not legally required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammy123 Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Hi, I emailed the Department for Transport a couple of months ago about this, and heres there reply: Our advice is that passengers are safest in a forward or rearward facing seat equipped with a three-point seat belt or, if this is not possible, a lap 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. Lap belts on these 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 in forward facing seats. You should also bear in mind that child restraints cannot be fitted to side facing seats and, if you intend to carry children in the rear of this vehicle and they are under 135 cms in height, they will need to be in a forward or rear facing seat and using the correct child seat/booster for their weight at all times. Details can be found on the THINK! Road safety Website - http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/ When fitting seatbelts, they must comply with the latest British or European standards and be marked accordingly with either the ‘e’, ‘E’ or BS ‘Kitemark’. The seat belt anchorage points should also be designed so that they will be capable of withstanding the high forces of an impact. These comments are the Department’s understanding of the Regulations. Enforcement of these regulations is a matter for the police and, ultimately, their interpretation is a matter for the courts to decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolHands Posted February 8, 2008 Author Share Posted February 8, 2008 Thanks all. So the consensus is: since they were not fitted from factory, they don't need to be fitted. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolHands Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 Thanks Anyone know where I can get the 'spreading' plates for when I mount them? (To spread the load) Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 If you have rear benchs dont bother to fit them , depending on how many people you intend to carry, then the forward facing fold ups would be the way to go with 3 point belts. Side facing lapbelts can cause some very nasty injuries in a frontal impact. JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OilIT Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 if you have the individual side facing fold up seats, then the standard way to fit seat belts is using the proper land rover mounting kit (its effectively a bar that runs from the bulkhead behind front seats to the back of the tub, and bolts through to another tubular setup that bolts onto the rear cross member - this is where all the seatbelts are fitted. You can sometimes see them on ebay. if its kids - I would do the job properly. If its mates out huntin and shootin then you may wish to make a different decision... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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