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Seat belts - Regulations and guidelines for camper vans and motorhomes
If you've added seats to your camper van or motorhome, you should be considering the seal belt laws, and how they affect you.
In the UK:
- All vehicles manufactured since 2001 must have seat belts fitted for each passenger. If you have added seats (via a campervan conversion) you are outside of this law.
- Selt belts must be used whenever fitted, with no exception.
- It is highly advised to fit seat belts to all forward facing seats.
- It is highly advised to never let passengers travel in side facing seats, as the effects of whiplash and other impact related injuries are very severe from the side
Do passengers in the back have to wear seat belts?
The short answer is:
- No, you do not need to fit seat belts for passengers in the back.
- However, if you are carrying passengers in the back you must discuss and declare this to your insurance copany. It is very likely that your insurance company will not let you travel with passengers in the back unless they are in forward facing seats and have a 3-point seat belt.
- If there are seat belts they must be worn.
- It is not advised to travel seated sideways in the back.
I contact the Department of Transport in the UK and they gave me these guidelines:
"Our advice is that passengers are safest in a forward or rearward facing seat equipped with a three-point seat belt. Seat belt anchorage points should be designed so that they will be capable of withstanding the high forces of an impact and seat belts must comply with the latest British or European standards and be marked accordingly with either the 'e', 'E' or BS 'Kitemark'. We strongly recommend that they are professionally installed by qualified persons (such as a commercial garage or seatbelt specialist).
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. In the event of an accident, seat belts on these side facing 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 seat belts used on forward facing seats.
If you intend to carry children aged 12 years or under, the seat belt wearing regulations require them to use a suitable child restraint. You should bear in mind that child restraints cannot be fitted to side facing seats. In order to fit the required child restraints, you would need to have forward or rearward facing seats with full three-point seat belts. "
They also advises me that:
The Department [of Transport] cannot give an authoritative interpretation of the law; that is a matter for the courts.
Guidelines for fitting seat belts
Regarding the laws about fitting seat belts, ultimately it comes down to the MOT test.
The MOT tester has to decide if the seat belts are fitted safely. The seat belt test criteria is that each seat that requires one has one, and that its mounting point and the 12" surrounding it are not corroded excessively. However if it is mounted to a 1/8th plywood floor at cant be corroded, so it passes. This means, in essence that the real serviceability of a mounting is outside the MOT testers remit.
It's a bit vague isn't it?
To cover yourself, consider this
- Go to an MOT testing center and ask the tester what seat belt work would be considered necessary for your camper van to pass it's MOT.
- Most seat belts in the front of panel vans, have a standard belt mounted by the door, and a seat belt receiver (that the belt clips into) on a long arm. You can buy these used seat belts cheaply on eBay.co.uk. You can then fit the long receiver arm through your wooden seat frames, mounting the receiver arm on the metal floor. This is a very solid fitting.
Download the following PDF, which should help
So if I ws to fit 2 seats in the back of my van, rear facing. I don't need belts to be legal?
I'd like to think i'd put belts in anyway, but with regards to MOT and legalities etc...
i have a type 25 vw camper and want to carry passengers in the back but it has no seat belts could i get pulled over for this
contact me at : alexwilcox1@live.com
My parents bought an x reg renault T35 master LWB already converted was a patient carrying ambulance but was registered with dvla as campervan after conversion basically can they carry passengers in the back as there are no seatbelts, it has hourse shoe shape seats from one side curving round the back to the other.
legally correct advice needed thanks for anyones help.
Hi Dave
I have revised the information above, in the first post, after hearing back from the Department of Transport.
Basically you can carry passengers in the back, without seat belts, as long as your insurance company agree it, and the police do not consider it dangerous.
Hi all.
If a seat is fitted after 2001 you should also fit seatbelts. Case law states that seats fitted after this date have to comply with the law set in 2010 and have seat belts. The police know when the seats were fitted as once the seat and belt has been fitted they have to go for a SEAT BELT SAFETY TEST carried out by VOSA. You then have to re register with the DVLA showing how many passenger carrying seats it now has and how many passengers it can carry. You must then have another MOT as the vehicle has changed (how many passengers you can carry)
The above mention of side facing seats is accurate. You don’t need belts!!! However they can only be used by adults. Children under 12 years old have to be in correct child seats or booster seats, these have to be forward or rear facing with belts. Also please remember that when you register your vehicle with the new number of seats make sure your driving licence allows you to carry that many people. My licence allows me to carry 16 people but my wife who passed her test a year after me can only carry 7 passengers. So make sure you only register the vehicle to carry the amount of passengers that you are licensed for. If you carry to many people then you are driving otherwise than in accordance with your licence. Your insurance will be void and you will end up with hefty fines and points on your license and possibly court or disqualification. No insurance carries 6 points and £200 fine added to vehicle seizure bills you will tot up over £500 in a few minutes.
Would you still have to register with the dvla for the seats on the van if they are side facing, without seat belts ?
Hi
Yes you would have to re register the vehicle with the extra seats otherwise you would be using it for reasons other than it was registered for. Your insurance would probably be void then. You also have to be sure that your license covers you to drive with the amount of seats that the vehicle has. If not your insurance will be void. penalty for not having insurance 6 POINTS AND £200 FINE PLUS VEHICLE SEIZED WITH RECOVERY BILL TO PAY WHEN RELEASED THIS RANGES FROM £150 FOR CARS TO THOUSANDS IF BIG VEHICLES
Hi
I've bought a 1992 renault camper with two rear front-facing seats that only have lap belts. Do I need to fit new seat belts for my 2 kids 7 and 5, who currently use the booster seats with backs in our standard car? Are there alternative car seats I can buy instead?
You need 3-point seat belts to secure your childrens booster seats.
See the legals here:
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm
I would suggest contacting a local garage or campervan/motorhome workshop and ask them about fitting new seatbelts for you.
i have a old campervan with side facing seats, going to france with duaghters in back ages 17 and 13. do they need seatbelts in french law?
Yes, they need to wear seat belts, but I'm not sure about side-facing seats.
http://driving.drive-alive.co.uk/driving-in-france.htm
I went through this some time last year and after research there is only one safe way to carry other passengers and that is front facing with three point seats belts and seats that have been tested to UK standards. (Think it's called N1 standard, or something like that).
Hi, I agree, the problem is with all the 4 berth campervans I've looked at, the seats supplied in the back are bench-style seats, not full height and are positioned below window level. This means there is nowhere to mount a three point seat belt - only lap belts are possible. Even if I replace the seats, there will still be no mounting point on the side of the van to mount a seat belt - its all taken up by the windows! What have other people done? this can't be insurmountable...(ooer that's a very bad pun, unintentional though :)...)
Did you get any replies to your question about it not being possible to fit 3 point seat belys in a motor home die to the low back seats and the large window.. My MH is the same It has an L shape sett in the rear. I understand adults can ride in the back OK but IF I add a lap bely I have to have it tested possibly to the point of destruction to have it approved!!! Crazy if true. Kids under 12 apparently have to have the full 3 point belt!!
HIH I just spent 21 tousand pounds to but this 2007 Motor Home and are they telling me it can only carry two passengers? Please reply Paul
evening,i have vw t25 holdworth vision 1987 with the L-shaped seating in the middle of the camper/kitchen in the back,can my 9 year old daughter travel in the seats as there are no seatbelts and any advise on getting any fitted please thanks.Adam.
I believe if the vehicle was not made with seat belts, then people can travel without wearing seat belts.
However this is very dangerous and not a good idea.
Insurance companies generally specify tat everyone must wear a seat belt. If you are stopped by the police they may consider it unsafe for passengers to travel without seat belts.
Ask at your local motorhome dealer or garage about having seat belts fitted.
I wouldn't sit my kids in any camper, van or car without a three point belt and seats that have been tested M1/M2 standards, don't care if the law says it ok I'll be the judge with my kids safety.
hi there i am restoring an old campervan in the front of it is a double passenger seat can i fit 1 3 point seatbelt and 1 lap seatbelt cheers ann
I have an old camper van with side facing seats - I know that I can carry passengers in the UK; does the same apply to travelling in France?
Hi,de,hi campervaners
I have a 97 Daihatsu hijet pickup & I plonked a demountable 2 berth romahome back on it off a 1983 y reg hijet it can seat 4 to 6 people in rear sideways but it as no seatbelts in the rear. do I have to register it as a camper as it is mostly used as a pickup for the seatbelt laws
Hi Bobby
That's an interesting scenario that I haven't come across before.
I would suggest contacting the DVLA to see what they say.
If you could let us know here what they say it might be useful for other people in the future.
All the best
Darren
Hi today i just got my ex school bus engineered into a motor home i had to have 6 seats with seat belts as i have a 6 birth motor home and 3 of my seats are side facing which only needs lap belts and the rest of the seats don't need seat belts but cant be used while traveling i live in Victoria and i will say they are very strict in there checklists as my engineering guy had to take over 40 photos of different areas of the motor home and it took about 7 hours for him to complete this .My bus is a 1985 model
I am converting a renault master 'ex ambulance' van into a 4 birth camper,but for the safety of my son wanted to fit forward facing 2 seat ex mini bus seat.. with fitted seat belts. would i need to get a certificate? would this effect MOT requirements after declassification?
The seats would be mounted on the 1 inch floor with 6mm plate strips under the floor below the mounting points for extra strength. any feed back would be appreciated. Regards Geoffo
I don't believe you need a certificate to fit and use seat belts.
However, you need to check with your insurance company whether they are happy to insure you to carry people in seats that you fitted, and have fitted seat belts to.
The MOT is unaffected. MOT testers simply check that the seat belt works, and the area where the seat belt is bolted to the vehicle is free from corrosion.
You mounting idea sounds good and strong, but I am no engineer, so don't take my word for it.
Good luck though, sounds like you have it sorted.
Can i have seats in the back of a luton box? you can only enter it through the shutters at the back and when your driving they will be down so youl be shut away inside the box...
HI
We are travelling from the UK around Europe in a Ford Transit converted motorhome ?? early 1990's era. There are bench type seats in the back which convert into a bed (both side and forward facing seats).
Would it be possible to install one seat belt? I understand that a 3 -point seatbelt may be out of the question due to a comment read above (window height, no attachment point). If just a waist belt, where would be the best place to get this?? Any idea of approximate cost??
Thanks a lot!
Hi all.
I have a couple of questions please.
1- my van (ford transit 120 swb 2.5D) has 1 passenger seat. Can I just swap this for a double seat? What are the legal implications? I pressume I'd have to advise my insurer of this change.
2 - At the moment it is a panel van and insured as such for personal use. I originally bought it as my car went bang and we're doing the house up so it is saving me a fortune on delivery and skips etc. Once finished we want to convert it into a camper. We will be fixing to the floor a futon kinda bed, (sideways probably) and a double ring camping stove/grill on legs at the back and a small sink/cupboard the other side. As the law has now changed I am a bit unclear on what I have to do.
Do I need to fit a window?
Can I carry passengers in the back on the futon bed? (Legality reasons please, not moralistic).
Do I have to re-register it as a camper or will it be refused as it isn't a purpose built one or a coachbuild?
Is there a legal way of carrying more than 2 people as the van is now without having a re-fit/re-test etc?
Thanks
Caroline
Hi Caroline
1. You can fit a double seat no problem. It should just bolt in, as the fittings should already be in the van floot. You should inform your insurance company, it shouldn't change your policy price.
2. You don't need to re-register the van as a camper. There are insurance companies who will insure the vehicle as a campervan. However these insurance companies ask you you to get an engineers report to ensure the campervan is a good conversion. They look for installed water tanks, seats and beds that are properly fixed. So if you are going to do a simpler conversion by using a futon bed, then I don't think you will be able to get campervan insurance. You might need to keep the van insured as a van if doing a simple conversion.
To re-register the van as a camper with the DVLA you will need to do a fairly comprehensive conversion. See the information here:
http://www.campervanlife.com/building/legal
You will need windows to insurer as a campervan, or re-register with the DVLA.
You cannot carry passengers on a futon bed in the back.
You don't need to re-register as a campervan.
You could fit a popery crash-tested campervan seat to the back, but these cost £2,000, but turn into a bed.
You could fit a standard double van seat in the back, if done properly, which is OK for carrying passengers. This might get in the way of your bed, etc. in the back.
Hi,
We have a 1974 Commer PB Motor Caravan fitted with the C.I Caravan body. It is a 4-berth with two seats in the cab. A third has been mounted onto the engine cover so 3 can ride in the cab. Can the 4th ride in the back legally as this seems to be a grey area.
We also have an identical 1976 model but without the middle seat but engine cowl cover as were fitted with as standard even though they were 4-berth.
Many thanks,
BJW
Well, the law says you don't need a seatbelt to travel in the back seat.
But, you need to check with your insurance company if they will insure someone in that seat.
If they will insure it, then you need to satisfy the police that it's safe, should you be stopped.
Hi there
I have this old Sherpa converted camper van 2 seats in the front and side facing rear seat. I'm a bit confused but have I got it right that as long as over age 12 passengers can sit in side facing seats (legal not moral) and if so does anyone know what the rules are in Europe? and do I need permission from my insurance company to carry passengers in the back? If so does anyone know a good insurance company just incase mine does not allow?
Basically, if the vehicles was not made with those rear seats there, you can carry passengers in them, as long as they are over 12.
However, I doubt you'll get insurance. You do need to tell your insurance company. I suspect they will insist on seat belts.
Also, if the police stop you and consider it unsafe, you could get a fine.
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This is exactly why i started with an ex school minibus, factory fitted full seat belts to all seats.
I would recomend sourcing these seats to retro-fit to a van
Darren B