seat belt law

[swindontony]

We have just bought a peugeot 307 cc. It is technically a 4 seater, ie, only 2 sets of seat belts in the back, but there is enough room for a 5th person, I was wondering if I carried a 5th person, would I be breaking the law even though the other passengers were belted up. Thanks in advance.

[LostSheep]

Afraid so swindontony - you need to have a seat belt for every passenger in the vehicle

[swindontony]

In reply to your answer lostsheep, I have just read that some can legally be carried in the rear of a vehicle without a seat belt if there isnt enough seat restraints for all the passengers. This sounds very ambiguous to say the least. Has anyone had any experience of this type of situation?

[kempie]

The answer may be specific to the exact model of car you own.

You are correct in your assertion that seatbelts must be worn if fitted/available thus enabling occupants to travel unrestrained where no seatbelt exists, however legislation covering vehicle construction & use and insurance considerations may well limit the number of passengers your car can legally carry.

[LostSheep]

Have a look at this website:

http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/legal/seatbelts.html

If the vehicle is only designed to carry 4 passengers, you would be breaking the law carrying 5. Some older cars don't have any seatbelts at all and these are exempt from the law.

[kazza12345]

the "official" number of seats will be in the v5 (logbook)

[furrycheeky]

I know of people who have been fined for this exact reason. The police told them that the car was a 4 seater and 5 in it was an offence. The back seat in the 307 is wide enough for 3 but it only has 2 actual seats. In an accident the third person would either fly through the windscreen or over it if the top was down. So its best not to think it even for a short trip. Remember you might be a safe driver but other are not.

[lady_p_gold]

Following on from this I just cannot believe how many mothers I see driving around with their children not strapped in at the back. They are firmly strapped in themselves though. Madness.

[dotjhawkes]

well like the legendary Esther Rantzen once said on That's Life, 'would you put your best china in a box on the back seat and drive off without securing it?'

[Jay70]

Also I think in your insurance small print it normally states how many passengers you are insured to carry.

[DirtyHabit]

Isn't it a convertible/hardtop? I think the back seat is narrower than a standard saloon to fit the the roof mechanism, so it's a 4 seater and you would be carrying more than it was designed for.