Riding in the back of a Romahome

[Stardust]

Hi, I've just got my first motorhome, a 21 year old Romahome. Can anyone tell me if it is legal for passengers to ride in the back. It only has side facing bench seats and there are no seat belts.

TIA
Dave

[NomadSue]

Hi, I've just got my first motorhome, a 21 year old Romahome. Can anyone tell me if it is legal for passengers to ride in the back. It only has side facing bench seats and there are no seat belts.

TIA
Dave

Don't know for sure but I'd imagine it would be illegal without seatbelts. Surely no seatbelt = no insurance for additional passengers?

Welcome to the forum - lots of happy, safe travelling in your Romahome.

[peterholden]

Legal - Yes

Safe - No although we did it sometimes when we had a C15.

Check with your insurance company thet they are happy for you to carry passengers in the back and that they are insured. GET IT IN WRITING

Peter

[lizzie]

back seat passengers

Hi
This question has cropped up in the past and I think it is legal to carry passengers in the back of your Roma without seatbelts as long as they are not fitted. I also think it is not possible to retrofit them.
Whether you would be happy to carry unbelted passengers is another thing.

Lizzie

[Twolitre]

Hi
This question has cropped up in the past and I think it is legal to carry passengers in the back of your Roma without seatbelts as long as they are not fitted. I also think it is not possible to retrofit them.
Whether you would be happy to carry unbelted passengers is another thing.

Lizzie

I suppose motorhome vehicle age may dictate the answer to this question.
It became compulsory to have front seat belts fitted in 1966, but not to use them.
It has long been compulsory since for driver and front seat passengers to use seat belts on private vehicles, but I cannot remember the date from which all new vehicles had to have rear seat belts. The wearing of belts by rear seat passengers became compulsory IF FITTED. Again I cannot recall when. But as it is not always possible to retro fit seat belts safely at the rear, I don't think retro fitting was made compulsory. I think the structure of most older motorhomes would not be strong enough to securely locate seat belts.
I have a 1951 car in which fitting effective rear seat belts is impossible.
Jim.

[ant]

Right now it is legal to use the side bench seats without belts, you must not wear sideways facing lap belts. Unless you specifically asked when insuring it most of the insurance companies used for Motorhomes will assume only two people are using a two berth Motorhome. The belt law will change at sometime to come into line with the Motor car law.
Ant

[Vanderella]

[QUOTE=ant;30903]Right now it is legal to use the side bench seats without belts, you must not wear sideways facing lap belts.
Ant[/QUOTE

Not sure I understand this, can you elucidate? We have one forward facing rear seat with a proper seatbelt, and a side facing bench seat with one lapbelt. Are you saying that the law as it stands means we must not use the lapbelt? Thanks

[maid of soay]

Yes, me too - slightly puzzled. I have 2 rear lap straps on the sideways bench seats - in fact, it was one of the big reasons I bought this particular vehicle. I'd FAR rather use them than have people not strapped in.

[ant]

I know it sounds a bit odd, but some years ago now it was found that the internal injuries caused by being strapped in by a lap belt while facing sideways were such that the fitting of sideways facing lap belts were outlawed. As the law is yet to include people travelling in the rear of a Motorhome specifically it remains that unbelted sideways facing passengers are legal belted ones are not.
I don't make the rules, but I will get hammered by them if I were to fit lap belts on sideways facing seats. In the eighties and nineties I fitted loads of them and was latterly advised to remove them if the vehicles appeared for service at any time.
Ant