I'm picking up my spliity from the mechanics on Saturday where shes been in getting all the mechanical work & brakes etc.... done.I've obtained a Vic Roads temp. permit that allows me to drive her home & to the bodyshop(as shes still in need of all her body work done)but its just occured to me that as yet I have no seatbelts in her.
I've had differerent answers from the couple of people i've asked so i'm hoping someone on here can definetley clear it up for me.Do I by law have to have seatbelts or because of the age of the car(1967)is it not legally so??
I do intend to get seatbelts but not till after the body/paint work is done & seeing as though there will be no plates on her there may be a good chance i'll get pulled over.

PLease Help............

i think the seatbelt law was introduced in 64, but some commercial vehicles didnt need them at that stage still. apparenetly once they have been installed then they have to remain. mine is a 62 and i have no seat belts. love the flexibitlity.

I think that theres a point on the wall & possibly the remainder of a seatbelt hanging off it ,so that probably means i need one...do you think???

if they have been therre I reckon you need them

if the vehical was made with them yes you need them and even if the car wasnt made with them but u put some in you also have to wear them as well.....i got busted in my bro's EH for that one

probably if you lived in canberra it would be legal, thats if a politician likes to restore cars

in vic if the car was made with seatbelts then you have to wear em...

Lol sauerkraut........
Thanx guys....seeing as though i'm going to get them anyway I might have to buy some on the way to the mechs.With all my money going into repairs can't really afford to get a fine!!!!(Especially when the amount of the fine is probably the same as the seatbelts will cost!)

If a car was built before seat belt came in...never had them to start with then you don't have to have them

Most people have because if the safety issue....

Volma1 in Tassie doesn't have them in his oval bcause the car never di have them nor did it have provision for them....

It is weird to go in a car that doesn't have them though

I'm putting them in the front of Bel (3 point) but not in the back...I very rarely have passengers in the back...When I have had, they feel a little uncomfortable not having belts and comment

I don't think I could continuously drive around without seatbelts.I was going to risk it if i was allowed just to bring the car home on Saturday as its a short trip but in general i just wouldn't feel safe without them.

I was so tempted not to put them in, then I was going to do lap belts....but everyone was saying 3 point at least....

Inertia would have gone way out of the period theme ....not a consideration at all....

Seat belts are always an issue for discussion and there are always so many opinions

I bought Bel's from O/S because I wanted the old style buckle....and with the VW crest....Dealers can't bring them in to Australia for sale as they are illegal to sell...don't meet our standards...

It took 3 days for my parcel to arrive from 'The States'...economy freight......

FedEx....delivered to the door!!!!

[Edited on 24-6-2004 by jenz58]

i have only ridden in one car without seatbelts (limo's excepted), and that was a 50's jag. after doing that i would never consider ownign a car without seatbelts. too scarey.

my 61 beetle dosent have belts,or provision for them. queried rta in nsw and they said either a restraint fitting station has to fit or have to be engineered so they are legal.

I think different States may have different laws???

That sounds a bit strict?

S-Chick,

Australian Design regulations require that all post 1961
vehicles be fitted with seat belts - mounts have to be engineer approved. Pre 61 don't have to be fitted
but if you do fit them the mounts also require engineers approval.

If you're putting a bus back on the road in Vic its best to do
it all properly - also seat belts are something you don't want
to fudge on....

I have just put seat belt mounts that meet ADR engineering
requirements in my split twin cab. Meeting the engineering reqs isn't difficult. I'll write it up here soon , but
the info is already on my website at

http://www.splitbusaustralia.com 

regards

RobK

I also discovered that all "outboard" seats in a car (seats that are next to the side of the car, ie - all except the middle bench) need to have lap-sash belts: lap alone isn't good enough. This is important as I'm trying to get a kombi plated to seat eight: it's currently a two seater (and :cussing that stock standard default kombi seats, belts and bolts require an engineers cert!!!). This means that the seat next to the sliding door does indeed need to have a three point lap-sash style seat belt. Makes it real convenient to get in the back hey. Oh well, could be worse, and I guess it might even be safer.

Good luck with your bus. Splitties are cool, wish I had one. I'm in Vic too, so also talking VicRoads.

Cheers folks,
Aurel

Simple question - do you want to die?

Yes, You have to have lap sash belts as Lap belts do NOT stop Your head hitting the side window or windscreen...
and NO seatbealts don't stop Your head going thru the windscreen , which happened to Me in the 60s.... actually all of Me went thru the shattered windscreen.... ended up in the middle of the road.... Not Good...
Plus Your head can hit anything on the dash... the reason why later Beetles 68> had the soft plastic knobs,,,, even on the 1/4 window...
SEAT BELTS really do Save Lives....

Lee

(in Vic) if the seatbelts are installed.. they must be used.. but if they were not fitted as standard, and have not been fitted ever since the car was manufactured then theyre not required.. my 68 only has front seat belts, and it has the mounts in the back for them.. but they were never used.. so i can have 2 passenger in the back, w/o seatbelts..

Dude - that is just not correct!

All post 61 vehicles have to have seat belts (with correct
mountings) for every passenger it is registered to carry.

RobK

The vicroads site actually says 71 (although its an information
item rather than the actual ADR...).

I'm only so convinced because I've been through it with
my engineer for splitbusses a number of times (mind
you I'd fit em anyway) and my 59 was the only one
he'd have passed without belts (if I'd wanted....).

?????????????????

RobK

That's the way I've heard it over the years. If you leave it stock as a rock, you don't have to add a damn thing. BUT, as soon as you start modifying, it's in for a penny, in for a pound.

I don't know that ADR,s are retrospective. Otherwise you would have a lot of vehicles illegal with the stroke of a pen.

My 64 singlecab didnt have seatbelts...but will put lap belts in, NSW RTA said that was ok...

My 54 oval had seatbelts, but I've removed them and welding up any evidence of them, its not stated anywhere that they had belts fitted so who will ever know...

Heh all....wow quite a debate.

I have said from the word go I am definetely going to put seatbelts in my splitty as i just wouldn't feel safe without them.
I spoke to my mechanic today & he said as i will be driving it home from his shop as an unroadworthy vechicle under a temp. permit that it didn't matter whether there was a seatbelt or not.However he was going to see if he had one around & if i had existing mounts so i would feel a bit better about the situation until I am able to buy a brand new pair.

sounds like a good idea best to have them.. in the front atleast

soo... i have a 76 bus, it is a converted panelvan, so the rear seat is an aftermarket job. at the moment in the rear it has 2 lap belts which are not well bolted down (i intend to change this) and because the oen on the window side is lap only it wouldnt be legal seating. but if what is being said about mini-busses is right, could i register it for 3 passengers (plus dirver) by removing the back seatbelts, then add them for protection afterward? panelvans never came with mounting points, and it would be impossible to fit a lap sash correctly.

camperkid I reckon you'd need an eng cert to register it for more seating, and that requires seatbelts for all people in accordance with current legislation. ie - you are adding new seats, and therefore must follow current practice, which means all passengers must have seatbelts.

I have a kombi (234xxx...) registered for two people. I asked VicRoads: if I put in factory option seats with seatbelts into factory built bolt holes and seat belt anchors using genuine VW seat clamps, would I really need an eng cert? Guess what: yes. I'm gonna have a go again a few times, maybe I'll get someone with some common sense.

This whole process means that a 7/8/9 seater is straightaway at least $300 better off (ie - worth more) than a two seater kombi, even if in identical condition, and neglecting the price of the seats themselves. I was quoted $300 as the price for an eng cert, for as simple a job as looking at a few seats! I didn't realise this when I bought mine.

Aurel