any legal eagles out there?

[tezza]

hi everyone not having had my 85 camper very long i dont know some stuff i probably should know my camper basically has 4 seats around a table in the back 2 forward facing 2 rear facing what is the legal position on seatbelts my wife and i usually go out together but we sometimes think it would be nice to take son and daughter ,girlfriend and boyfriend with us does anybody have the answer its a 1985 by the way thanks all tezza

[..lee..]

1985 requires drivers seat and passenger front seat to have belts.

rear seats do not require belts untill jan 1987 if i remember correctly.

[tezza]

1985 requires drivers seat and passenger front seat to have belts.

rear seats do not require belts untill jan 1987 if i remember correctly.

thanks mate

[DiscoDave]

rear seats do not require belts untill jan 1987 if i remember correctly.

unless the rear seats form part of the sleeping arrangement, then you are not legally required to have seat belts what ever year it is!

[..lee..]

dave where did you get that info from. as far as mot is concerned if there are forward facing seats from 87 on then they require belts.

if the van is presented with the bed " down" and the van isn`t regestered as a 2 seater then your still up the swanny.

[DiscoDave]

uk motorhomes

click seatbelts on the menu accross the top.

For vehicles built up to October 2007 there was no legal requirement to have seat belts fitted to side-facing seats or seats that make up the accommodation area in motor caravans.

my van is a 51 plate t4 and has gone through the last two mots under my ownership, not had rear seat belts brought up!

[..lee..]

dave, spot on mate motorcaravans 87 on are exempt from rear belts.

for shame on me i missed that one.

that link makes interesting reading some to think about from 2009.

[DiscoDave]

interesting if not somewhat confusing, the gist of it is do what you like, not sure how this goes for carrying passengers that are sat on the bog tho!

[tezza]

uk motorhomes

click seatbelts on the menu accross the top.

For vehicles built up to October 2007 there was no legal requirement to have seat belts fitted to side-facing seats or seats that make up the accommodation area in motor caravans.

my van is a 51 plate t4 and has gone through the last two mots under my ownership, not had rear seat belts brought up!

great link . i think i'm clear now but 2009 looks dodgy??

[phade]

Hi everyone,

It is true that no seatbelts are required for seats that make up the living area of a motorcaravan built up to October 2007, however the following regulations also apply (quoted from UKMotoerhomes.net):-

"Regulation 46 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended, states motor caravans first used on or after 1st April 1982 but before 1 October 1988 shall be equipped with anchorage points for the driver's seat and specified passenger seat (if any); and for motor caravans first used on or after 1st October 1988 shall be equipped with anchorage points for the driver's seat and any forward-facing front seat. "

I have also noticed the upcoming EU seat belt wearing directive from that website which says:-

"Where seat belts are fitted, from May 2009, the seat belt wearing Directive will prevent more passengers being carried than there are seat belts in the rear of vehicles. This will mean that from May 2009, in any vehicle of whatever age, where seat belts are fitted in the rear, more passengers may not be carried in the rear than there are seat belts available."

In other words, if you have an older campervan with rear seat belts from May of next year they must be worn (one per passenger).

I am thinking of taking the large lap belt and the 3 point one out of the rear facing passenger's seat out of my one (the rear lapbelt does not have the proper anchorages) rather than modifying bits of bodywork.

I hope this helps everyone.