I'm a bit confused with UK seat belt law and can't find it anywhere. Basically I'd like to know if rear seat belts are compulsory on a modern car (1994), I know they have to be worn if fitted but are they required and if fitted as a factory item can they be removed.

The reason I'm asking is because I am interested in the possibility of fitting four point harnesses to the front seats of my car and using the front and rear lap strap mounting points to save modifying it.

Also I presume that I don't need to notify my insurance company of the change and are full motorsport turn buckle harnesses legal for road use, I presume they are seeing as lots of road legal competition cars use them but the harnesses with push button releases always seem to use the fact they're road legal as a selling point.

From memory there is no need to have rear seatbelts but it is recommended, as my parents picked up a car many moons back (~2000) that was used by a woman who was wheelchair bound and the rear belts got tangled up with her chair a lot, as a result they were ripped out and never put back in. The car passed it's MOT Test every time. The law just says if they are there they have to be worn.

You will have to inform insurance though as it is a modification and if the worst happens they could, if they wanted to, void your policy for not announcing them.






[Legal Note: This is all from my recollection and I am not up to date with every change to road law so if you're still concerned phone the Ministry of Transport (or is it Department of Transport now?).]

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

[Legal Note: This is all from my recollection and I am not up to date with every change to road law so if you're still concerned phone the Ministry of Transport (or is it Department of Transport now?).]

VOSA
http://www.vosa.gov.uk/

And here is what you NEED to read:

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacor ... Seatbelt%20Guidelines.pdf

Theres bits in there that concern cars.. (but its mainly about buses, vans and lorries)