Travelling in living of lorry law?

[ShowJumperBeckii]

Hello,
Just wondered recently got a 17 ton lorry(1997 plate) which obviously only has two seats in the front and was just wondering what the current law was on passengers sitting in the living is while travelling? Is it allowed?
Many thanks

 

[oldie48]

Copied from a post by Slightly foxed on 10.02.14, I hope it helps.

"Seats in the rear of a horsebox, did not, prior to October 2007, require seatbelts (whether forward, rearward or sideways facing) and it was not illegal to carry unrestrained passengers in them while travelling, providing the vehicle is not overloaded and that there is access from the cab to the living area.

An EU Directive (2005/40/EC) on the installation of seat belts required that from 20 October 2007 new vehicles have to have seat belts fitted on all seats except those seats intended solely for use when the vehicle is stationary.

Specifically, it is important note the specific legislation relating to the carrying of children onboard goods vehicles. By law, children must wear the correct restraint whilst in a moving vehicle. Children aged up to 3 years old cannot therefore travel in a vehicle without seatbelts.

From May 2009, the seat belt wearing directive prevented more passengers being carried than there are seat belts in the rear of vehicles.

It is possible, in many cases, to have seatbelts fitted retrospectively to all forward and rearward facing seats. These seatbelts must be fitted by a professional installer and you should always consult with your insurance company prior to carrying out any modification."

And this:

"The law relating to the use of horseboxes is complicated and horsebox owners and their drivers should seek specialist advice if they run into difficulties with the police or the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

In a recent criminal trial we acted for the driver of a horsebox who was prosecuted for driving the vehicle in a way which involved danger of injury to passengers because there were two passengers seated in the living area who were travelling without seat belts (indeed the horsebox was manufactured before seat belts were required to be fitted).

Despite our attempts to persuade the Senior Crown Prosecutor (CPS) to see sense and withdraw the case and in spite of serving the CPS with an expert opinion which concluded that there was no evidence of a danger, the CPS insisted on fighting the case to trial.

At the subsequent trial the court concluded that the prosecution was so weak that our client should not have to put forward any defence case at all. The prosecution was thrown out and a costs order was awarded in our client's favour."

 

[Tiddlypom]

This issue comes up on motorhome forums too. In older vehicles, like yours, it is legally permissible but is widely considered to be inadvisable.

https://www.salopleisure.co.uk/pres...avans/motorhome-seatbelt-laws-in-the-uk/11952

If your motorhome was manufactured before 1st October 1988, it must have seatbelts for the driver and a designated passenger in the front. It is not necessarily illegal for a rear seat passenger not to wear a seatbelt. However, the police could deem not wearing a seatbelt in the rear of the vehicle to be an offence if the motorhome is being driven at high speeds.

- Although not illegal, the government does not recommend using side facing seats in the rear while a motorhome is in transit. In the event of an accident, seatbelts might actually increase injury risk if there is a frontal collision. This is research which is cited by the EU Parliament.

(Though as a horse mad child I travelled loose in the Luton of a cattle lorry packed with ponies and other children to pony club events!)