Three seat vans and kids

johngalway

Quick question.

Two kids, 6 years and 8 years. Is it legal to carry them in the front seat of a three seater van?

Have to make a purchase soon, but I was told that it isn't legal by someone today.

Truth or fiction?

Del2005

They'll have to be in booster seats so the van will need 3 point belts on each seat.

If it has a lap belt in the middle then you can only bring your favourite.:D

Make sure to take your booster seats when looking at vans to make sure they'll fit.

Esel

I think there is a minimum weight requirement for a child to be allowed in a front seat.

Del2005

Esel wrote: »

I think there is a minimum weight requirement for a child to be allowed in a front seat.

Haven't a chance to fully check this RSA guide to child seats. But from the 1st page it doesn't appear so.

CarrickMcJoe

You are not allowed to carry kids in a van if it is taxed as a commercial vehicle.
When you go to tax it, you will be handed a form to get stamped by the gardai to say it will only be used for work purposes only.
I also had to produce a tax clearance cert in order to tax it, otherwise it will be taxed as a private car.
I still leave the kids to school etc in my van . A guard would want to be a complete b'stard to stop anyone doing same, besides I would say they were my apprentices anyway.

Esel

CarrickMcJoe wrote: »

A guard would want to be a complete b'stard to stop anyone doing same, besides I would say they were my apprentices anyway.

Get up that chimney and stop whingin'!

delly

I looked into this a while back and from what i could find it was legal to carry kids in the front once they are in the correct child seat. The tax thing is a separate issue and you'd be unlucky to get done for it.

The most important thing however is being able to disable any airbags that will be facing the kids. If they are under 12 there is a risk of neck damage if they are deployed.

bladespin

CarrickMcJoe wrote: »

You are not allowed to carry kids in a van if it is taxed as a commercial vehicle.
When you go to tax it, you will be handed a form to get stamped by the gardai to say it will only be used for work purposes only.
I also had to produce a tax clearance cert in order to tax it, otherwise it will be taxed as a private car.
I still leave the kids to school etc in my van . A guard would want to be a complete b'stard to stop anyone doing same, besides I would say they were my apprentices anyway.

Pretty sure you're allowed carry passengers on the way to and from work, so as long as the school, creche etc is on your commute then it's perfectly fine.

corktina

bladespin wrote: »

Pretty sure you're allowed carry passengers on the way to and from work, so as long as the school, creche etc is on your commute then it's perfectly fine.

strictly you are not allowed to use a commercial for anything other than commercial activity., so it isnt fine but we all do it.

johngalway

I'm a (very) small scale sheep farmer, not sure what is entailed in regards to getting commercial tax, as I've always had private car tax, never had a van. Thing is I'd also be using the van for general getting around, which would really be for work.

CarrickMcJoe

johngalway wrote: »

I'm a (very) small scale sheep farmer, not sure what is entailed in regards to getting commercial tax, as I've always had private car tax, never had a van. Thing is I'd also be using the van for general getting around, which would really be for work.

You may need a booster seat so!:D

bladespin

corktina wrote: »

strictly you are not allowed to use a commercial for anything other than commercial activity., so it isnt fine but we all do it.

Disagree, could you quote a source for that? The rules I had to adhere to specified that as long as it's on the way to or from a job you're not breaking any rule, to divert specifically for personal reasons would break the commercial rules.

corktina

here is form RF111a which is pretty explicit abouut SDP use.

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,23874,en.pdf

"not be used at any
time for social, domestic or pleasure purposes."

bladespin

corktina wrote: »

here is form RF111a which is pretty explicit abouut SDP use.

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,23874,en.pdf

"not be used at any
time for social, domestic or pleasure purposes."

Don't see you're argument as it's being used for work purposes while carrying passengers, no mention of that anywhere there.

corktina

bladespin wrote: »

Don't see you're argument as it's being used for work purposes while carrying passengers, no mention of that anywhere there.

"not be used at any
time for social, domestic or pleasure purposes."
what bit of AT ANY TIME are you struggling with?

Solnskaya

Thats probably why you always see traveller families driving around in saloon cars and never in vans. Oh no, wait a minute.....

I've two young boys and they have been with me many many times in my van, been through checkpoints etc, never a word.