bench seat-belt dilemma

hi all: what are other members' feelings about rear seat belts in side facing bench seats? kids love no belts in the back but i'm not happy. heard that side facing belts are useless if not dangerous. anyone fitted front facing seats in the back?

I think you should fit front facing seats and belts... the damage caused by side facing seats and belts is not good heavy whip lash etc.. you have to notify your insurance if you want to be fully covered and then they wont insure you and say you have to fit front facing seats.

bit of reading

http://www.dvtani.gov.uk/uploads/publications/general/retrofit.pdf
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f7/rear-seat-belts-side-facing-seats-73455.html

Here is an interesting conundrum. If you fit rear seat belts to a vehicle that was not designed for them, your insurance are unlikely to cover you. If the children are of an age where they need a child seat then then if you fit belts you are no longer able to use the seats. If you have no seat belts and child over 3 may travel on the bench seats.

You could just drive more carefully. There is an age old theory that if you fitted a large spike to the steering wheel there would be no accidents......

People get on the bus and sit in side facing seats without belts every day without even thinking about it, I followed a school bus with 6 kids stood against the glass on the top deck, no belts at 50mph but it doesn't stop the parents piling them on

Front facing with belts will be the safest but lap belts are better than nothing

Stick mini bus seats in either forward or rear facing. Job done

I thought it was illegal to take kids in the back on side facing seats?

Might depend how old they are?

I have rear bench on 1 side with no belts, but never let the kids use them.

johnnyoxford said:

I thought it was illegal to take kids in the back on side facing seats?

Might depend how old they are?

I have rear bench on 1 side with no belts, but never let the kids use them.

Click to expand...

Nope. Over 3 years old they can travel without belts. It's on the DVLA website.

interesting point about buses not having belts, wack61, can't believe i didn't think of that. would fit front facing seats but have single cab so not easy to get in/out of seats. prob will fit bench seat belts for now and will inform insurance of the 'modification' so as not to confuse them...

Buy a 110 bench seat and mount it rear facing across the arches with some nice strong steel underneath it and big spreader plates where your bolts go through the arches. Works a treat