Child Seats/Belts/Bench Seats

Does anyone know the rules regarding child seats? I've benches in the back with no belts, three in the front with 2 belts, a missus and four kids, (two boys old enough to know what's what, a 2 year old girl and a 2 month old girl.) I had planned to put baby in her car seat in the front with the seatbelt just for safetys sake, and have all the others in the back with the wife holding on to our toddler, (I'm obviously not going to be going anywhere fast) But what are the rules? Do they still need booster seats even with no seatbelts? Or are they not allowed in a car with no belts? I'm tempted to say Feck the law, but I've got a bit too much to lose these days. Any help in keeping me legal appreciated.

This old chestnut. How much do you value your family? Baby in the front in child seat, fine. You need to give some serious thought to the rest.

Is it an 88 or 109. In a 109 you could potentially fit 4 forward facing fold ups + inertia reel belts, though you'd only need 3. In an 88 you can only fit 2. Expensive option, but how much are they all worth?

I personally wouldn't put my family in anything other than proper seat with proper belts. Kids and toddlers don't fare well went bent double, sideways when held at the waist by a single lap belt at even 30 MPH.

There's lots of option, none cheap & it is more about the safety of your family than the bare minimum requirements of the law.

Probably not what you want to hear, but you did ask.

I would say you need a family car not a series Landrover! Landrovers are great fun but they are just that, i shouldn't think too many members on here take a family as big as yours in a series :frown:

well i take my 2 kids in the back of my series with no seatbelts! in a series i'm not going fast enough to hit anything at any great speed, if anything hits me the near 2t weight of the series is likely to cause them far more damage than me, if i get hit by something bigger then me then quite frankly a seatbelt isn't going to save me or the kids!
as kids we all travelled with no seatbelts all of the time and we're all still here to tell the tale in fact there were 5 of us kids, 4 on the back seat and me sat on the cubby box between the front seats! when we got too big for that we had an estate car and did 3 on back seat and 2 in the boot dad occasionally drove after too many drinks, we ended up in a ditch one night, we were all fine and got told off for giggling

I too am one of 5 and we all used to fit in various farm vehicles with various inadequate seats, speed limits were the same then and the brakes were far worse, It's not your average family car, but it is a 7 seater, what are they for if not for sitting in? Anyway, I didn't ask for tips on raising my family, or to have my love for my children questioned, I asked if anyone knew the rules, I'll take that as a no shall I? Grippa, I expect it would have been very annoying for you a few years ago before child seats and rear seatbelts were around, let alone compulsory, all that bloody walking everywhere. Bryant, Land Rovers are fun, but they're not just that, they are utilitarian machines that are meant to be used, thats why I've got one, that's why they are still around and kept going, and my kids are going to have fun memories of that noisy, slow, ugly, smoking, bastard, (and the landy!) just like I have.

Well said landybird! My earliest memory of land rovers include my family of 5, meeting up with my uncle's family, also 5 - and the 10 of us travelling in uncle's series 1. Mum and aunt up front, with uncle driving - 6 kids and my dad in the back. I would have been about 6!
As for the current legalities - if the vehicle does not require seatbelts, then there is no requirement to wear any. However, if they are fitted, then yes...they must be used. The question of bench seats and seatbelts etc has been well covered - esp in the 90/110/defender section.

I had a similar problem, and a former wife who was keen to point out the safety hazards. I bought a full set of inertial reels inc three point set for the middle seat. Not that expensive at around £100 (for the front seats) and not too hard to fit!

Yup got to agree with fond memories of bouncing around in the back of a series as a kid. We had a huge old sofa cushion on one side instead of the bench which just kinda swallowed you as a kid.

Safety of kids is important, but wrapping them in bubble wrap and cotton wool is a bit excessive.

The law is very clear and very simple to understand. I assume you know how to use google. If so the answer to your question is just a search away.

To answer the question, here in Belgium NO lateral seats are allowed,
with or without seat belts. It is a shame as I have a lightweight and so
I will not be able to have anyone in the back. It does not stop me
when out playing around in the mud with the kids bouncing around
in the back asking for more...
I suspect that in this PC and nanny state times you would best put
some fold up forward facing seats at great expense. They might be
easier to fit if you have a roll bar.
Could you not phone up the local MOT garage or DMV office?
If you do fit lateral seat belts you might not be legal abroad.
Sorry cant be of more help.
K.

Ah well, when the rose tint wears off & you've finished harking back to the days when Snickers were Marathons, Mars bars were the size of postage stamps, we all rode Chopper bikes and you've unfolded and buried your kids after that 30MPH collision come back and ask the question again about seatbelts in old Land Rovers.

I'll be sure to come back after the funerals if I can make it past all of these classic cars piled up everywhere after crashing at 30, idiot, come to think of it, the only classic I've seen crashed near me in a long time was my 3.5 Capri, about 15 years ago, with 4 of us in it, no rear seat belts doing 40 odd round a roundabout in the wet, turned it over and we're all fine, I was driving like a **** in a powerful car, not pootling round town in a land rover. Don't bother posting if you're just going to try looking a smart and talking about dead children, it's just irritating and ignorant. Try answering a question for a change, instead of just chirping in trying to teach me about life, I've been there and done it. Or maybe I'm wrong, and my rosie tints aren't letting me see the corpses of loved ones and classics littering the streets just out of sight of my blinkers.

Elwood Balboa said:

I'll be sure to come back after the funerals if I can make it past all of these classic cars piled up everywhere after crashing at 30, idiot, come to think of it, the only classic I've seen crashed near me in a long time was my 3.5 Capri, about 15 years ago, with 4 of us in it, no rear seat belts doing 40 odd round a roundabout in the wet, turned it over and we're all fine, I was driving like a **** in a powerful car, not pootling round town in a land rover. Don't bother posting if you're just going to try looking a smart and talking about dead children, it's just irritating and ignorant. Try answering a question for a change, instead of just chirping in trying to teach me about life, I've been there and done it. Or maybe I'm wrong, and my rosie tints aren't letting me see the corpses of loved ones and classics littering the streets just out of sight of my blinkers.

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you are an arsehole, plan and simple

Could i also just point out that although Series go slowly and people generally drive them sensibly, there are plenty of other idiots on the road who fly around at high speed and crash, and no matter how solid a Landie is, the lack of things like crumple zones means all the shock of being hit / crashing goes through the vehicle + people inside. Yes the crumple zone of the car which hits you may help - but - its still gonna hurt. a lot.

I agree completely, but what are the chances? how many accidents involve insurance group 1-4 cars in a year and how many are classic cars? Should we really have such a bleak view of the world? And that wasn't the point of the thread, I just asked a question.

Father and daughter, 8, killed in holiday jeep crash after '4x4 driver is blinded by German during water pistol fight'| News | This is London

Even in a crash at 30mph, an unrestrained child in the back of a car would hit the front seat with a force of between 30 and 60 times their own body weight. Such an impact could cause death or serious injury, with the chances of survival decreasing as speed increases.

above from:- CHILDREN & ACCIDENTS - SAVE THE CHILDREN

I agree that we shouldn't wrap our children in cotton wool but just because we did things years ago doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace safety now, my son always wears his cycle helmet, hell we didn't know what one was when i was growing up, we spoke to strangers, my parents didn't know where i was during the light hours of the day, but i want to know where my son is!

Cars didn't do the speeds that they do now and there were far fewer of them, i bought my series so my son and i can spend time together off roading etc but we do it strapped in, its not for me to preach to anyone, but i would not want to have to call my wife telling her something tragic about our son after an accident!

everything carries a risk but we should do what we can to minimise it for the ones we love (In my opinion!)

Have a great Easter everyone

Child Safety : Summary of seat belt and child seat law - The AA

thats what you need to know
if you fit side facing seats and want seatbelts you should have lap belts not 3 point belts,

landybird said:

Child Safety : Summary of seat belt and child seat law - The AA

thats what you need to know
if you fit side facing seats and want seatbelts you should have lap belts not 3 point belts,

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Thanks, Sorry I got caught up in all these morality issues, I actually did manage to find out and forgot to say, My other daughter needs a seatbelt and seat, everyone else is fine.

Elwood Balboa said:

I'll be sure to come back after the funerals if I can make it past all of these classic cars piled up everywhere after crashing at 30, idiot, come to think of it, the only classic I've seen crashed near me in a long time was my 3.5 Capri, about 15 years ago, with 4 of us in it, no rear seat belts doing 40 odd round a roundabout in the wet, turned it over and we're all fine, I was driving like a **** in a powerful car, not pootling round town in a land rover. Don't bother posting if you're just going to try looking a smart and talking about dead children, it's just irritating and ignorant. Try answering a question for a change, instead of just chirping in trying to teach me about life, I've been there and done it. Or maybe I'm wrong, and my rosie tints aren't letting me see the corpses of loved ones and classics littering the streets just out of sight of my blinkers.

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No kids at the time, I didn't make that clear.

Elwood..... ignore Gwippa.... I've told him before he's a w*****r, makes a change all his buddies didn't jump to his defence ! You asked a reasonable question, which sadly seems to trigger his seniority complex.