mad1 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 hi all At the moment my 110 has 3 front seats but the centre has a good chance of being taken out to fit a cubby box . My query is that there are some seat benches fitted in back across wheel arch ( if you know what I mean ) but these have never had belts fitted to them even though I would not want to drive on a main road with anyone un belted in back but if i needed to how would I stand if I was stopped by police or would I need to fit belts or remove bench seats to be on safe side Many thanks m1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 As far as I am aware you do not have to wear seat belts in the rear but they should be installed - check with your MOT garage for the precise wording. I would advise that you get them fitted and insist they are worn by anyone in the back - seen far to many accidents where the rear seat passenger has either gone through the windscreen after hitting front seat passenger or from a clash of heads, a fatality. The force of impact on the passengers from a 'loose' rear seat passenger at 40 mph is nearly 4 tons - rather like having an elephant fall on you. Take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codling99 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 i think the law is ,if thier fitted you must wear them,if not fitted you dont have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) i think the law is ,if thier fitted you must wear them,if not fitted you dont have to. Sorry, you are right and I am wrong - if they are not fitted when manufactured you dont have to have them fitted. If they are fitted you must wear them. I would however have them fitted personally but clearly no legal requirement. Apparently the only restriction is if the car has no seatbelts (classic car), you may not carry children younger than 3 and any children old enough to do so must travel in the back. Checked the web for law on "rear seat belts" - answer from Direct Gov. Cheers Kes Edited February 21, 2012 by Kes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad1 Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Thanks everyone I will get some fitted as it's for my protection as much as my passengers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linny Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 i think all cars made after 1986 had to have rear belts fitted i might be wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 The seat belts fitted to bench seats in landys have apparently a reputation for causing more injury during crashes than the actual crash. Id be carefull, If they aint fitted i wouldnt fit them. Its nice to be free. As a aside when a few of us were delivering straw to pens we hitched a lift on the trailer and found ourselvs going 40MPH down a private road, THAT was FUN!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedwards1966 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I'm pretty sure that if the vehicle isn't manufactured with them it doesn't need them. I expect (though I could be wrong) that if you retro-fit some then they will then have to meet a certain standard for an MOT. The seat belts fitted to bench seats in landys have apparently a reputation for causing more injury during crashes than the actual crash. I think you could be right, I can't think what sort are in Landy's, I don't recall the ones I've used having them fitted, but if they are the simple lap belts which I think they are then I think they can be very bad in a crash, as they don't support the upper body and therefore can cause some major internal injuries. If I'm right then if they're fitted I'd not use them, I have been in vehicles with lap belts and feel happier not wearing them. That said, even if they kill the passengers they will protect the driver from several tons of dead occupants flying through them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) Thanks everyone I will get some fitted as it's for my protection as much as my passengers Are you talking about fitting them so that people sat sideways (on each side) will be able to use them? If so, there is a reason why they're not installed and it's supposedly because if there's a crash you're more likely to get injured. Seatbelts/Lap belts are designed to work in a forward direction. I'm not sure of the exact reasons, but I believe it's down to the sideways movement and the fact that a seat/lapbelt would cause your body to twist. There's no legal requirement to fit seat belts in sideways-facing seats. The human body bends forward from the waist - not sideways - the potential for internal and spinal injury is high if a passenger uses a seat belt in a sideways-facing seat. For similar reasons, the type-approval standard for child seats and boosters does not include fixing them in a sideways-facing seat Edited February 21, 2012 by Billy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) I think recently side ways seating in passenger vehicles has been banned in Europe and is part of the reason the defender is being shelved http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=46532 Edited February 22, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad1 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Are you talking about fitting them so that people sat sideways (on each side) will be able to use them? If so, there is a reason why they're not installed and it's supposedly because if there's a crash you're more likely to get injured. Seatbelts/Lap belts are designed to work in a forward direction. I'm not sure of the exact reasons, but I believe it's down to the sideways movement and the fact that a seat/lapbelt would cause your body to twist. Yeah the ones in back do face sideways So I won't bother fitting them but just make any adult passengers aware to hold on Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billytheghillie Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 who would want to sit in the back of a landy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Iv been in the back of a defender (with 3 others) when it rolled over whilst driving cross country (not at speed), if we never had the lap belts on we'd have been ragged about like dollies in a washing machine and more than likely injured. We were all undamaged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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