Bench seats/insurance warning

Just seen this

UK insurers in retreat from side-seat Defenders | Autocar

****s, they are just as safe if not safer than forward facing rear seats in older vehicles. Those the only two insurers that are ****ed off?

the article specifically refers to sideways facing benches, perhaps they will have a different view on models with four inward facing individual seats, then again, ...

If not I can see a lot of people wanting to convert from 4 inward or 2 bench, to 2 forward facing, i.e., fold down and back from storage over wheel arches, with proper 3 point seat belts.

Just another way to put the cost of insurance up

I loved this quote -

“We are currently unable to insure Defenders fitted with sideways-mounted bench seats as we believe these present an unacceptable risk of bodily injury,” said a spokesman.

They believe? As someone said in the comments where are the stats to back it up.

Some people 'believe' that theres an imaginary person who created the world in less than a week, doesnt mean its bloody true

the_wolf said:

I loved this quote -

“We are currently unable to insure Defenders fitted with sideways-mounted bench seats as we believe these present an unacceptable risk of bodily injury,” said a spokesman.

They believe? As someone said in the comments where are the stats to back it up.

Some people 'believe' that theres an imaginary person who created the world in less than a week, doesnt mean its bloody true

Click to expand...

so true it is the words we believe thats important rather than evidence

I wonder if this is only on bench seats, you could always just change to 3 separate seats with seatbelts or are they meaning the direction of the rear bench seats ?????.
Before I do my rear seats on my hybrid I think a few calls to insurance companies to check how I stand fitting separate seats in the back of my station wagon. Good call from the OP for posting this.
ALAN
Sheffield S25

Two of the most expensive companies retreat from backing Defenders - probably will cause headaches for about three people.

Every quote I get lately is specialist for Land Rovers - with my rusting hulk qualifying for classic insurance pretty much it's only £150 a year fully comp with every bit of modding clagged to it with superglue. Including the dreaded bench seats that I have as standard.

the laws of physics have been around for a while lets be honest - the risk of spinal and internal injurys due to momentum are much higher as your body has limited left right movement in that axis unlike its forward backwards axis - there is a reason that seat belts are not mandatory in sideways seats as well , the belts do more harm than good.


what makes you think sideways seats are as safe as forward facing seats in?

more so some of the rear seats fit outs - sideways or otherwise ive seen in defenders and home brew crewcab vans i wouldnt wish on anyone in an accident.

There doesnt seem to be problems getting school buses and stretch limos with side facing seats insurance cover !

What school bus stock has side seats ? All school bus's in scotland must have forward or rearwards facing seats and inertia reel seatbelts....no side seats and no fixed belts. I remember the hoohaa having to get stagecoach bus's refitted.

No ideas about limos.

lots of school buses in rest of UK (double dekkers and single ) , including with lap belts , also lap belts in side facing limo seats

another victory for sensible scottish regulations then.

Sorry if this is a bit off thread, but as seat belts are not mandatory for side facing seats, can I legally carry a pasenger sitting on my wheel arch? I've removed my bench seats you see but sometimes have to chuck a body in the back.

Not mandatory to have belts in the back , i cant find it now but im sure they must be on a fitted seat of some kind , its illigal to put someone in the back of a van for example , which is what a landy without seats is .....

Seats or not i wouldnt want anyone in sideseats in the back of my landy the outcome of even a small incident will probably be lifechanging/fatal.

top drive said:

Not mandatory to have belts in the back , i cant find it now but im sure they must be on a fitted seat of some kind , its illigal to put someone in the back of a van for example , which is what a landy without seats is .....

Seats or not i wouldnt want anyone in sideseats in the back of my landy the outcome of even a small incident will probably be lifechanging/fatal.

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Ye, thought so! I'm gonna have to refit one of the bloody bench seats- I only occasionally have some one in the back but got an extra body for fishing this time round and it's my turn to drive!
Thanks for reply mate.

top drive said:

Seats or not i wouldnt want anyone in sideseats in the back of my landy the outcome of even a small incident will probably be lifechanging/fatal.

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Personally, I think the 'danger' of traveling sideways is greatly overestimated.

How much does you body bend left to right compared to front to back, how much energy is dissipated into seat padding or seatbelts or is it all absolrbed by the body / the next hard object you hit as you fly though the back of the car.

That settles it.

Ill remove the bench seats and have the kids sit in the middle of the tub un-restrained. Problem solved!

Alm.

On a serious note, theres a shed load of data and "experienced G-shock vs. Death" graphs out there dating back to the 50's and 60's when Col John Stapp had a hard on for riding a rocket sled in as many different positions as he could......and also a lot of info on nasa re-entry vehicles, g-loads and death plots. I think the best way to impact is arse first.

out of interest, are they refusing to insure defenders with side facing rear seats full stop whether they are being used whilst the vehicle is in motion or not? I only ask as i have fitted some to the rear of my 90 purely to use when parked up so we have somewhere to get changed, make a brew or just eat our lunch.