Billysailing Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Off to France with wife and six year old grandson , I see under tens are not allowed in front seat ! We only have two seats with belts and wondered what solution is ? We don't think being sat unrestrained in back of motorhome is any different to being sat on a bus BUT if we had choice would prefer six year old on booster seat and belt in front. Any solutions welcomed . Andrew :-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Buses rarely travel much over 30mph, you will going a lot faster in your Motorhome, personally I would not do it. How would you feel if you had an accident and the child was injured or even worse killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Billysailing - 2014-02-28 10:55 PM Off to France with wife and six year old grandson , I see under tens are not allowed in front seat ! We only have two seats with belts and wondered what solution is ? We don't think being sat unrestrained in back of motorhome is any different to being sat on a bus BUT if we had choice would prefer six year old on booster seat and belt in front. Any solutions welcomed . Andrew :-o Dont take him! If you only have 2 seat belts inc driver, then technicaly you you should be carrying only 1 passengers! Regarding a 6 year old with out a booster seat and no seat belt, defineatly a big NO NO You need to check your insurance to see how many passengers are covered, not just in France but UK PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 You have a good chance of being stopped and fined, worse still banned from continuing any further and one of you will have to return separately by train or bus. Ever been to prison before ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Nothing quite like a responsible Grandparent! Best solution - change the van to accommodate passengers Of course I'm assuming this is a wind-up - surely nobody would ever put a young child in that situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billysailing Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 THankyou for your reply , having looked at the seatbelt issue on 4 bert vans fitted with two seat belts this seems a complete grey area and open to interpretation but essentially it would seem if seat belts are not fitted from new which they were not then obviously they cannot be worn but whats the point in a four berth van for two people?I can't believe all the thousands of vans out there with similar configuration were suddely made incapable of carrying the passengers they were designed for .It goes without saying that of course Im not wanting to put anyone in danger but with a week to go beforehand we set off selling van ect is not practical at this late stage.when I asked for solutions I'm more thinking of retro fitting another seat belt .The log book has a blank space where passengers would normally be entered. Van is Lunar roadstar with side facing rear seats . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billysailing Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 THankyou for your reply , having looked at the seatbelt issue on 4 bert vans fitted with two seat belts this seems a complete grey area and open to interpretation but essentially it would seem if seat belts are not fitted from new which they were not then obviously they cannot be worn but whats the point in a four berth van for two people?I can't believe all the thousands of vans out there with similar configuration were suddely made incapable of carrying the passengers they were designed for .It goes without saying that of course Im not wanting to put anyone in danger but with a week to go beforehand we set off selling van ect is not practical at this late stage.when I asked for solutions I'm more thinking of retro fitting another seat belt .The log book has a blank space where passengers would normally be entered. Van is Lunar roadstar with side facing rear seats . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRANKP60 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 This has been discussed before on Forum ,couple of years ago there was a article in Practical Motor home . Couple were traveling at night and for some reason the wife was traveling in rear of van ,,they were hit from behind by a car at high speed in New Forrest ,pictures showed the rear of van destroyed and the wife was thrown out of van on to the road and seriously hurt.. We enjoyed taking Grandchildren away but restrict it to UK and as we only have two belted seats,but 4 berth in van we also take the car ,then park the van on CL all trips out are in car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billysailing Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Thanks for that reply ,just to clarify we are not considering seating grandson in rear of van on booster seat with no belt ,we are considering grandson on booster seat in front seat. With belt and wife travelling in rear of van.I have looked at Aa website which states a child under ten cannot travel in front seat of vehicle unless rear seats have no belts which would be the case .As he is six this should comply with French law regarding childeren in vehicles. I should have been clearer about our intentions. I would think a phone call to insurance could prove a show stopper in any case although I'm sure they will ask what the log book says and that has a blank space where the passengers would be printed.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRANKP60 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Wish I had saved the pictures of the van that had the crash in New Forrest ,the rear of van was destroyed .I would never consider a passenger either child or Adult. Always think of what might happen ,if you are on a motorway 40 ton truck comes up behind !!!!!!!!!!!, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takeaflight Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Billysailings My nephew had the same problem, he had two lap belts fitted, anchored to the floor. I think most dealers will know someone that could do this, if you don't feel upto the job. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I had seat belts fitted for my kids booster seats by a mobile chap in our westfalia..but the laws have changed and that was 20 years ago! With type approval it's now far more difficult. Just face up to the fact that you have the wrong van! Leave the child at home until you get the situation resolved *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 To fit an addition seat belt you need a strong metal frame that is secularly attached to the chassis at at point that can withstand the forces in an accident. Also it is strongly recommended NOT to fit belts to side facing seats as in an accident it can result in severe injuries for the passenger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Yes it is a strange law, many bus's have no seatbelts and they travel at great speed! well as fast as the drivers can get them to go. In particlar the school bus's around here had no seatbelts until last year. so it makes a complete nonsence of the law. It may be that as a temp measure you can fit a double front passenger seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Wife travelling in SIDE facing seats ??? No belts ? Definatly illegal in UK., You are obviously worried, that you are doing wrong, otherwise you would not have asked for a solution to your problem What do the parents think about the situation? Child in front seat? Wife on a side seat? No No No Don't forget that you will be on the wrong side of road, and you need a "lookout" when pulling into traffic, and have you experiencened FRENCH drivers?? Please don 't do it. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 You don't say how old the vehicle is. Rear sear belts for children came in in 1989, for adults in 1991. Surprising isn't it! The folk who are now alarmed by your situation probably have travelled for many years without safety issues we now take for granted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Billggski - 2014-03-01 9:49 AM You don't say how old the vehicle is. Rear sear belts for children came in in 1989, for adults in 1991. Surprising isn't it! The folk who are now alarmed by your situation probably have travelled for many years without safety issues we now take for granted. Yes we did, travel without safety belts, even used to put carry cot on the back seat. BUT the roads where not so busy, the cars not so fast, AND drivers in the 50,s where much more considerate of others (IMO) Also we did not drive without a licence,(used to respect the police, which I am not sure we do to-day) as seems to be what happens nowdays, with all the new imigrants, do they know the laws? Do they uphold them? NO I learnt to drive in London, in the 1960,s I would not want to drive there to-day!! Was also one off the early users of the M! (Oh that it was as empty to-day!!) PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billysailing Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 IV just spoken to my insurance company this morning which is Saga and clearly explained the arrangent,I.e having a child in a booster seat in the front of the motorhome with seat belt and wife travelling in back of van with no seat belts,no seat belts fitted as built in year 2000 . They put me on hold and asked the underwriters who came back with an unambiguous yes that we are ALL insured ,Iv also asked them to put this I writing ! I expected the answer to be no to be honest ! Not happy with having a van that makes me feel uncomfortable ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Im sorry but no amount of insurance would make it alright to carry some-one unbelted in a van travelling at even 40 miles per hr. I was thrown forward when I sat on the side seat just moving the van 100 yards down the road to another site! a dog ran in front of us, O.H did an emergency stop, I cracked my head on a unit my O.H spend a week worrying that we needed to go and get me checked out we were travelling at about 20mph. I darent think what would have happened had he been travelling at speed! everything happens so fast you dont have time to grab onto anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Strachan Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Andy, as one who spent the last 18 years of my working life, as a camera man with a police force, I would implore you not to do this. Part of my duties was to film fatal accidents, the memories of these tragic scenes live with me. One in particular involved the death of a young woman traveling in the rear of a car with no seat belt on, her head was draged along a wall for 25 yards before the drunk driver hit a tree which also killed him! Please dont risk carrying people without a seatbelt. PS I am not thinking that you will be drunk! Stay safe regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billysailing Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Iain Thanks for the warning , I was looking for solutions as I know I'm not comfortable with the situation ,the two temporary front seats would not really be practical and the lap belts although in my opinion are better than no belts would still leave me uncomfortable .There is no solution that is going to resolve this apart from selling van which is also not possible at this late stage .The top and bottom of this is that although it is legal in France under certain circumstances to carry a youngster in the front it certainly means wife going without a belt,the AA website confirms what I have researched so definitley not illegal as some say just I not advisable which I have to agree with . Thanks everyone for your kind input ,now looking at flights to get Grandson home! Incidentally I spent 34 years in fire and rescue in one of busiest brigades in the uk and cannot recall a single incident involving a motorhome or camper but many many incidents involving both buses and coaches.Says a lot about the standard of those driving motorhomes.:-) Thanks again for the input . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 so you're still going to take him.....absolutely astonishing!lol Why bother asking *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billysailing Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Relax ,no need to be astonished ,me and the wife are driving to Greece via France and leaving van there ,flying home to collect Grandson for a few weeks then one of us will fly back or his Mum will fly out to collect him ,myself and wife will then drive back at leisure .Long story so didn't want to bore folk and explain it all but obviously as you have taken the trouble to respond to my questions you deserve an explanation -:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Ooops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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