passengers in rear

[4x4landy]

whats teh legality of carrying people in the rear on a 1974 ? do i need a bench seat + belts or just a bench or ok to use just sit on the arch ?

[Guest]

There are several legalities that you have to cross, seats would be a basic requirement, and I believe seat belts for your age of vehicle but can't be sure and guess someone will be along here with the correct piece of VOSA rules. The days of sitting in the boot of your dad's Cortina are long gone, and even with seat belts you would not be able to carry children in bench seats, as they do on comply with the new law.

I would think though one of the first loops would be insurance, how many seats does your insurance say you have? If you add extra and do not declare it, you insurance is invalid, and you are then breaking the law and opening yourself up to all sorts of legal and financial pain!!

Jason.

[SimonTemplar]

I think that the legal view is that adults can sit on bench seats but should not use seatbelts - they do more harm than good in a serious impact, as your spine wants to jolt sideways, while your hips want to stay put, which is not good.

The main limitation is with kids - child seats may only be placed on forward- or rearward-facing seats, so obviously not on bench seats. That rules out kids under 12 years old/135cm tall.

We have three boys well under that, hence the research - I don't know if I am allowed to name drop companies on here, and there may be other alternatives, but Exmoor Trim solved our issue: they do folding seats for the rear that stow away above the rear wheelarch, thereby leaving the load area clear, but will fold out with an extra leg that drops to give two pretty sturdy forward- or rearward-facing seats (you choose the direction when ordering). There's space space for two to go side by side, with seat belts it is okay to put child seats on them (my experience is of a Series III but I think they do options for most if not all Land Rovers).

Hope that helps.

[4x4landy]

It's just a few adults for 7 mile trip Sunday . Might try grab a bench of a mate for the weekend as the Lwt has nothing in the back ATM

[Snagger]

I think rear seat belts only became mandatory in 1983, or around abour then. They certainly weren't a requirement in the 70s. However, there is no way that carrying passengers without a seat is legal. Bench seats are fine for adults, and there is a loop hole for kids (under 12 yrs or 135cm, whichever is reached earliest) that allows them to be used on occasional circumstances (just not frequent or regular). You must inform your insurers, though, as icorrect seat details would invalidate your policy, even if the seats were unoccupied.