When did rear seat belts become mandatory?

[Escy]

I've got a 1986 AE86. Going to take it for an MOT soon. The rear seats are fitted but there are no seatbelts. The car has the mounts for the seatbelts. Do I need them fitted? (I can always take the rear seat out if it's an issue)

[Keep it stiff]

I think it was 87 when it became mandatory to fit rear belts and the obligation to wear them came later.

[9xxNick]

1987 according to the AA, although a lot of cars had them before then. My mum had a Fiat Strada which was one of the first cars to have rear belts as standard fit across the range in about 1983.

[whoami]

1991

[mph1977]

mounting s some time in the 1970s, 87 to fit on new vehicles, 91 to wear . think fitting was compulsory in germany and sandiegian countiries from the early 80s hence some makes fitting to all ...

[imagineifyeswill]

Compulsory to be fitted from 87, April 30th to be exact if my memory serves me correctly.

[Dapster]

I remember my dad's 1979 Audi 100 having rear seat belts. A bit like this one....

[nta16]

front seatbelts from




. . . 1964 1st January 1965 but you didn't have to wear them

there was a campaign to get people to wear them in the 70s(?), 80s(?) before it became compulsory but I doubt if we'll see much of that now - "Clunk-Click every trip. Clunk the car door, click the seatbelt ..."

Edited for brain fade on what year would follow 31st December 1964

Edited by nta16 on Tuesday 15th July 00:28

[thegamekeeper]

nta16 said:

front seatbelts from




. . . 1964 but you didn't have to wear them

there was a campaign to get people to wear them in the 70s(?), 80s(?) before it became compulsory but I doubt if we'll see much of that now - "Clunk-Click every trip. Clunk the car door, click the seatbelt ..."

Best not to mention the presenter.

[imagineifyeswill]

just a little bit later than 64, compulsory to be fitted to any vehicle manufactured after 30th June 65, first used after JANUARY 1st 66.

[nta16]

my (first edition) 1970 AA Book of the Car (the one with the silver circles on the cover has it as front belts for all cars registered after December 31, 1964

but I didn't check or cross reference that information as that would go against standard internet information sourcing

[nta16]

against the spirit of internet information gathering I've just looked at MoT requirements and if I'm reading it correctly the flow chart has that the front belts are checked on a vehicle first used on or after 1 January 1965 - "A belt which restrains the upper part of the body (but need not include a lap belt)." - so more confusion

[downr]

its definitely after 1964 for front belts as my car doesn't have them

[nta16]

downr said:

its definitely after 1964 for front belts as my car doesn't have them

I blame the heat for my brain fade not being able to work out it would be 1965 even though I read after 31st December 1964

I can't think when the anchor points needed to be built into UK cars but it was long before rear seat belts were actually normally fitted and well before it became compulsory to have them fitted let alone worn - or is my brain frazzled still

[a8hex]

More rear seat belt rule stupidity :-)
My 1958 XK150 didn't come with seat belts, and legally does not need them.
But I had them fitted.
When the law changed on kids seats and seat belt I found that if my kids wore the seat belts they were covered by the new law and so needed to in type approved child seats, but if they didn't then they were exempt because of the age of the vehicle. Since it was quite impossible to get type approved seats into the rear of the car, it was illegal for my kids to wear seat belt but legal for them not to.
I even have a letter signed by the Minister (not even PP'd) to this effect.
Thankful a BiB on here told me the maximum fine & that there was no points and also the chances of his surviving in front of a magistrate for prosecuting me for the kids wearing belts when it was legal for them not too.