Do I have to install seatbelts?

[Croaky]

Yes, I agree.

[rlane]

I have a 1957 Mark 8 Jaguar* on full registration in NSW, I also have two kids under 3, and contacted a legal officer at the RTA to get the details of exactly what the rules are.

• You don't need to fit seat-belts in NSW for either full or club rego.
• If you do fit seat-belts, they have to comply with the current ADRs.
• Children under 7 must be in an approved restraint. Exact type varies, depends on age and weight.
• Kids (forget exact age) aren't allowed in the front seat unless all rear seats are already full of kids.

All four points are true. You can drive your FB or EK without belts - you just can't take kids under 7s in the car.

Other gotchas: My Jag had old-fashioned fixed belts with nice chrome buckles fitted in the 60's - I "restored" those by fitting brand new set of US DoT-approved belts, anchors and buckles that don't have Aussie approval so that I didn't have to fit ugly black plastic modern retractables. This is dubious for the fitter, but not defectable because you can't tell when they were fitted and they were legal in the 60s.....

The child restraint anchors have no such flexibility - modern ones, correctly fitted or nothing.

If your car has no belts, and you're in NSW, and you want to take kids under 7:

• New belts, current ADR spec, fitted by an authorised fitting station.
• New child-restraint anchors.
• Approved kiddy capsule/seat/booster depending on age/weight/size.

Or massive fine, points, etc.

I would assume that similar rules will go Australia-wide, but don't know what the details are. I'd also expect that if you're driving an out-of-state car in NSW, same rules would apply.

* Please excuse the Jag. I joined the forum because I'm thinking of building an EK Wagon with VS under-pinnings as the wife wants an cool car - she's bored of the modern hatchback, likes my '57 Jag but she wants:

(1) Even more chrome, and also fins.
(2) A wagon for shopping, etc.
(3) An auto she can park - the Jag is a 4-speed + overdrive, weak sychro and no power-steering.... Thus the VS brakes, engine, box, diff, rack, etc.

[Cal]

Welcome.

Yeah, the seat belt laws are a bit ambiguous, and do vary from state to state.

I remember someone asking once if their kid can ride unrestrained in a ute that has no belts, and the laws on this didnt exactly answer any of the question.

[rusted]

Hi
I did hear in NSW,cars on club plates that have had seatbelts fitted as aftermarket have to have an engineers report.That report,classifys it as a modified vehicle and no longer elidigble for club plates.
I would gladly like some clarification.
I do know at our local club rego inspection days we regard seatbelts with engineers report or not , are still better than no seatbelts at all .The scruitineers have never asked for an engineers report and probably never will.

The most stupid part of it all is I have a 1927 chev tourer (canvas hood ) fitted with a holden body.The body is wood frame with the panels fixed to it with nails.Where am I suppost to fix the seatbelts?

[FBeing]

I just installed belts in the back of my EK so I could take the new addition cruizing...

On investigation it was all a bit ambiguous as Cal has stated (NSW RTA)
But after interperting the law, 3 phone calls to the RTA Tech Reg team and liaising with my installer
it seems that if the belts are installed by an authorised fitter and are ADR compliant then you are all sweet.

The guy that did mine assured me I didn't need an 'engineer' as he was the authorised person to sign off on the fitting.

Here's a couple of links from the RTA website:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/se ... belts.html

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/ch ... index.html

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/ch ... s_faqs.htm

And here's a couple of pics...




Not sure what happened to the 2nd pic but you get the idea

[Blacky]

not too sure about the baby seat mount through the speaker knockout - dont they just have a couple of tacks holding them in ???

[rlane]

not too sure about the baby seat mount through the speaker knockout - dont they just have a couple of tacks holding them in ???

The picture is huge - you can blow it up by opening it in a new window.

And the mount looks dodgy as

Four little tabs holding in a huge high-tensile bolt. I hop the installer knows what he's doing...

The seat belts look great - really neat install.

[FBeing]

And here I was putting my faith and trust into this authorised installer???
Cost me a small fortune too I might add.

I will have to suss it out further (car is in storage at the moment)

[EKjimmy]

ditto on the speaker hole anchor point! I can't believe he couldn't figure out how weak that woudl be in a collision! - sure it's nice and neat in the middle, but it ain't solid!
Looks neat and tidy throught the parcel shelf (my reels are bolted through the parcel shelf reinforcement thing and sit on top of the parcel shelf )
While that bracket looks pretty solid, it does look a bit messy doesn't it?

I'd go back and quiz him on that middle anchor though, or just never EVER use it

[rlane]

I had some PMs from Fbeing, he's going to get it checked out by a different fitter and not use it in the meanwhile.

Agree that it seems odd - the seat-belt reels look really well fitted.

[Devilrod]

not too sure about the baby seat mount through the speaker knockout - dont they just have a couple of tacks holding them in ???

Hopefully an oversight not being familiar with an FB/EK.... I'd move it or weld in the speaker knockout.