Classic Car - Garda Fines for no seat belts?

smellytinker

Hi All,

I'm currently debating purchasing a Classic car which has no seat belts on the back seats, will I (or my passengers) get shafted with fines if I get stopped by a Garda? Anyone experience this? Please say no cuz it's an amazing car!

Thanks
S

2cv

Seat belts only became obligatory after a certain date. Cars first registered before that date do not have to have seatbelts fitted and therefore passengers aren't obliged to wear them (makes sense, even to the gardai!!!). Couldn't tell you the exact date though, but i'm sure someone else in here could tell you.

What car is it? What year?

folkswagen

we buy and fit lap-belts in the rear of our classic cars - for safety and peace of mind:)

smellytinker

I'm looking at bringing in a friends 1965 Fastback in from the UK! Would be great if I didn't have to fit belts!

8~)

You won't have to fit rear belts.

As already posted by 2CV, belts only became mandatory on certain dates - I think front belts in the early 70s, rear belts some time in the late 80s.

2cv

1965, you're safe!!! I know that on the continent in most countries front seatbelts became obligatory in 1973 and the rear ones between 1988 and 1993, depending on the country.

Anyone know what the situation is in this country?

CreepingDeath

I recommend reading the fine print in your insurance policy, just to cover yourself. Having no seat belts is an obvious insurance risk.

Dades

My take on the rule: if they weren't an original feature of the car, then you are not obliged to fit them. (The car must be 30+ years old for this to apply).

You'd be daft not to fit them to something with a big engine though. Think of the extra cost involved in replacing a windscreen as you fly through it. :eek:

2cv

My view on it is very simple! Why are seatbelts obligatory anyway? We're all adults and do we really need Big Brother telling us what to do with regards to our own safety?

I always wear my seatbelt because i care about my personal safety, and i don't really need the government to tell me what to do. However, in my 2CV i don't always wear my seatbelt. I think that, in case of a crash, i'd be safer being ejected from the car than to be strapped in it

Max_Damage

I know that rear seat belts weren't compulsory until 1992, as my '90 Micra doesn't even have them!

2cv

My 2CV is a 1988 French import and it has seat belts in the rear

Max_Damage

On some cars they were an optional extra, at a price.

Wikipedia answers all:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation

macplaxton

No you won't get fined unless the rear seat passengers are under the age of 3

ROTR P35 "...Children under 3 years of age must not travel in a car or goods vehicle (other than a taxi) unless restrained in the correct child seat."

Over the age of 3, if there are no belts in the rear then it is not offence.


Mandatory fitting of rear seat belts:

NCT Manual P21 "For vehicles registered on or after the 1st day of January, 1992, check that all outer forward facing seats are provided with a lap and diagonal type safety belt and all other forward facing seats are provided with a lap and diagonal or lap type safety belt."

However, irrespective of vehicle age, if seatbelts ARE fitted (whether front or rear) they MUST be used.

Mandatory fitting of front seat belts:

NCT Manual P21 "For vehicles registered on or after the 1st day of June, 1971, check that a lap and diagonal type safety belt is provided for the driver and front outer passenger seat."

You could, if you so wished, remove the front belts. (Fitting of front belts was mandatory in UK cars from 1st January, 1965.) But in doing so, note:

ROTR P35 "Children over 3 years of age must travel in a rear seat in vehicles not fitted with safety belts."

That about covers it, hope this helps,
Rich

mustang68

smellytinker wrote:

I'm looking at bringing in a friends 1965 Fastback in from the UK! Would be great if I didn't have to fit belts!

You would be insane not to fit belts to that, its such an old car when you are in a crash you are much more likely to be seriously hurt, also the front seats have no headrest (thats a whole other story)so an unsecured rear passenger freely flying towards to back of your head at 30mph will kill you in a very minor accident that you would otherwise walk away from.

and don't mind all this thrown free of the accident stuff you read, if your passengers are travelling at the "thrown free" speed, they will have to make it through/over you, your seat, (perhaps a portion of the dash and steering wheeel)the windscreen, oh yes now they are going to encounter the ground or the thing that you impacted with.

smellytinker

Super help guys! Thanks for the info!

With out a doubt there will be no kids without seatbelts in a car of mine, They can wait till they're old enough to make their own bad decisions!

corktina

makes sense to fit them......nice to know u dont have to

Eoin

2cv wrote:

My view on it is very simple! Why are seatbelts obligatory anyway? We're all adults and do we really need Big Brother telling us what to do with regards to our own safety?

I always wear my seatbelt because i care about my personal safety, and i don't really need the government to tell me what to do. However, in my 2CV i don't always wear my seatbelt. I think that, in case of a crash, i'd be safer being ejected from the car than to be strapped in it

Can not wearing a seatbelt impact (no pun intended) the safety of 3rd parties in the event of a crash? If so, then it's not just about you.

Esel

folkswagen wrote:

we buy and fit lap-belts in the rear of our classic cars - for safety and peace of mind:)

Maybe the mind will be the only thing functioning after a crash while wearing a lap belt! Are you not leaving yourselves liable here?

zilog_jones

macplaxton wrote:

NCT Manual P21 "For vehicles registered on or after the 1st day of June, 1971, check that a lap and diagonal type safety belt is provided for the driver and front outer passenger seat."

Is not true for commercial vehicles? My uncle used to have a '96 Isuzu NPR truck and I was surprised/shocked that it had no seatbelts at all. That coupled with the shortwave-only radio always made me think it was some dodgy import from some RHD African country or somewhere

The Rules of The Road says the same thing about 1992 for rear belts, but IIRC no specific date for front belts (I think it says they're not required if the car didn't come with them fitted).

2cv

eoin_s wrote:

Can not wearing a seatbelt impact (no pun intended) the safety of 3rd parties in the event of a crash? If so, then it's not just about you.

I fully agree with you... But 99% of the time i'm alone in my 2CV (if i carry passengers, it just gets too slow ). When i do carry passengers, i wear my seat belt, always!
In any of my other cars, i always wear my seat belt as well.

macplaxton

zilog_jones wrote:

Is not true for commercial vehicles? My uncle used to have a '96 Isuzu NPR truck and I was surprised/shocked that it had no seatbelts at all. That coupled with the shortwave-only radio always made me think it was some dodgy import from some RHD African country or somewhere

The Rules of The Road says the same thing about 1992 for rear belts, but IIRC no specific date for front belts (I think it says they're not required if the car didn't come with them fitted).

NCT only applies to cars, so the date would be for passenger cars.

In the UK later introduction dates applied to Goods vehicles (1967) and Tricycles of a certain weight (1970), more recently Minibuses and the like.

So I wouldn't be surprised if the truck didn't have any.