question regarding seat belts.

[IneedAgoldenNickname]

Hi I hope some one can help me here regarding the law on seatbelts.

Last week my ex picked the boys (aged 6 and 8, both under 135cms) up in his work vehicle, a landrover of some description, which has a bench seat across the front fitting 3, and no rear seats. I wasn't happy that he didn't bring their car seats, and have since read that they are not allowed to travel in the front seat without them?

The boys then told me that there is only one seat belt, so one of them (the 6 year old) wasn't strapped in. I have refused to allow him to pick them up in it this week as I believe it is illegal.

He says that due to the age of the vehicle (96-97) the seat belt law does not apply, but google tells me that the law regarding front seats came in in the early 80s.

Does anyone who is correct? I'm prepared to hold my hands up and apologise if I'm wrong, however much I hate doing that.

Who care what the law says. It's just not safe.

Well exactly Sofia but at least I'd he takes me to court or anything they wool be on my side as it were.

And carseats aren't a great deal of use either, if there are no seatbelts to secure them.

completely agree with Sofia - for me its not the issue of whether it is legal/illegal - its not safe and i would not let my children travel like this. I wouldn't let anyone take my children in a car unrestrained. Tell him to take you to court and tell the judge that he thinks this is ok - see if the judge agrees!

He didn't take them, and has told me he will have a seat belt fitted by next week. If he doesn't then he won't be having then again.

I only say that with such vehemence because we had very strict seatbelt/carseat laws here in California long before you had them in the UK and when I first moved to the UK and took my stepkids places, people would think I was crazy because I made them wear seatbelts "even in the backseat" which wasn't law in england, but as far as I was concerned was simply the safest way to be.