Buying & Owning - Seatbelts
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One of the most complicated and misunderstood aspects of motorhome use is when and where you need seatbelts, for legal and safety reasons
There have been several changes of the law over the last few years. The fact remains that seatbelts save lives. We hope this feature will dispel some myths and give you some ideas on what to look for in the design and use of seatbelts in your motorhome.
One of the strange aspects of the law here is that technically a seatbelt is not a seatbelt unless it complies with all the safety, construction, mounting points and testing requirements. So if you want to fit one yourself it is going to be a very expensive business.
A bolt through the floor and a spare belt from the DIY store is just not going to count. There are firms that can retro-fit seatbelts to the right standards, but it will not be cheap and it will be disruptive.
If you buy a new vehicle you have to assume the habitation converter knows what he is doing in deciding where he can fit the belt fixing points to the chassis. Often an extra cross-member has to be welded into the chassis or a plate used to extend the area from an existing cross-member. Do not assume adding extra belts is going to be easy.
What to look for
The first rule here is to decide who will be travelling in your motorhome and where they will sit. If it is just the two of you, then the matter is fairly simple. Front seatbelts in motorhomes were fitted from 1965 for UK manufactured vehicles and they must be worn. But the difficulties start when you may want to travel with other passengers.
The 2007 rule is not retrospective however, so if you have a motorhome registered before that date, then it is not required to have any belts fitted in the rear at all. Many motorhomes did have belts fitted before then, but since April 2006 any such belt must be worn when the seat is occupied.
Facing sideways
Sideways-facing seats, some of which were fitted with lap belts, are a particular problem. A European Directive now makes it clear that travelling in a vehicle with lap belts on a side-facing seat is considered dangerous, and these seats should not now be used or fitted.
This leaves a problem for older vehicles with such fittings – if they are there they should be used according to UK law. But EU law says it is unsafe to do so and since 20 October 2007 they cannot in any case be classified as ‘designated seats’.
Tell the salesman
At least the situation on new vehicles is pretty clear, and most manufacturers are now fairly good at point of sale in identifying the number and position of the ‘legal’ travelling seats.
But do remember that you should include this aspect as part of the buying decision and make clear to the salesman just how many passengers you expect to carry before you seal the deal.
If there are too few ‘designated seats’ for your use then this is the wrong vehicle for you and you should look elsewhere.
Don’t take risks
DfT statistics show that each year 15 people in the front of vehicles are killed from the impact of an unbelted rear seat passenger. So it makes sense to belt up – if there is one.
It is still the case that if the vehicle is of an age where no belts needed to be fitted (before 2007) and they were not so fitted, then passengers may legally travel without belts.
The regulations applying to seatbelts cannot apply to seats where no belts are fitted. Therefore, if all the belted seats are already occupied, then there are clearly no other belted seats ‘available’ and extra passengers may legally travel unrestrained.
However our advice is unequivocal – do not, ever, allow anyone to travel in the rear of your motorhome if there is no seatbelt for them. It is too dangerous and you might be legally liable in the case of injury.
Little people
Many of us now take children on our motorhome adventures and the additional rules that apply are rather complicated (see summary table - if you are having trouble reading the table, click on it to download a larger PDF).
You cannot carry a child under three years of age at all unless they are in an approved child restraint appropriate to their weight.
If the child is over three years old and under 12, but less than 135cm in height and if seatbelts are fitted in the rear, they must also travel in an appropriate restraint unless for a short emergency trip (such as to a hospital). Over that age and height they can use an adult belt.
In the case of there being no seatbelts fitted in the rear, a child under 12 and under 150cm in height must travel in the front seat if that seat has a suitable restraint.
Remember that if the child is under 14 the driver is legally liable for any offence. Adult passengers are legally responsible for themselves (they pay the fine, not the driver).
There is a specific exemption from seatbelt wearing on medical grounds. If you think you may have a medical condition which makes wearing a seatbelt difficult, you need to see a doctor who can issue a Certificate of Exemption, which you must keep in the vehicle and show to police if required. The doctor may charge you for the certificate.
There is also an exemption from having to wear a belt when you are reversing the vehicle or performing a manoeuvre which includes reversing – but this applies only to the driver.
New developments
When relaxing on site, having sideways-facing seating areas is often more comfortable than forward or rear-facing. Some manufacturers have been thinking cleverly and combined a legal travelling seat with a side bench, by rearranging the cushions or moving a table when on the road.
All this should become more specific when European Type Approval for new motorhomes comes in for 2012, but we will still be left with the dilemma for older vehicles. So make quite sure you know the age of the vehicle you are buying and check whether it has the necessary belts.
Being sure
All UK manufacturers and reputable importers will do their best to comply with the law, and fit and identify suitable travelling seats, so what is the difference between a good installation and a poor one when considering a purchase?
Look behind you to see if there is an amply padded head restraint that will prevent further injury in the event of an accident.
Take up the cushions and see if the frame looks a good solid piece of work, has no obvious corrosion and does not interfere with any other part of the fittings. This area and the belts themselves will be part of your regular MoT test so check before you buy a secondhand vehicle.
On a new motorhome, look at the finish of the parts of the frame, which manufacturers will not expect you to see. Be picky here – skimping on this part of the design is a sure sign of poor quality elsewhere.
This is your life at stake.
(Information correct at time of publishing)
The full version of this article appeared in the July 2010 issue of Which Motorhome magazine. Click here to order a back issue, get the latest issue, and take advantage of our great subscription deal today.
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