Driving with rear facing seats

[Marty1872]

Hi, does anyone know If its safe/legal to drive/carry passengers whilst the front passenger seats are fixed in the rear facing position?

Thanks, Marty

 

[Deaky]

Doubt it as there would be no seat belts

 

[Marty1872]

Doubt it as there would be no seat belts

The belts are on the seats so that wouldn't make a difference?

 

[Deaky]

The belts are on the seats so that wouldn't make a difference?

You mean second row of seats then, not front passenger

 

[Van Buddy]

Did you mean ?
Is it legal to drive with the front passenger seat facing rearwards and if you then have passengers in the second row.

 

[Teesix]

It is illegal to drive with your (occupied) front passenger seat facing backwards. This is because of seat belt and airbag deployment issues.

 

[Skyliner33]

The question was can the second row seats be occupied facing backwards when travelling as the seat belts are fixed on the chairs. Although not phrased well but clarified in the thread.
I have no idea but would guess that the answer would be it’s illegal, however I don’t see why it would be so as some buses etc have rear facing passenger seats.

 

[Loz]

I think it's an age thing, old Landrovers, for example, had side-facing seats but new ones had to have front-facing.
Its doesn't make the old one illegal?

 

[DaveD]

The question was can the second row seats be occupied facing backwards when travelling as the seat belts are fixed on the chairs. Although not phrased well but clarified in the thread.
I have no idea but would guess that the answer would be it’s illegal, however I don’t see why it would be so as some buses etc have rear facing passenger seats.

I don't know if the law has changed but 10 years ago I regularly drove various kombi type vans with passengers in the second row, i.e. directly behind the front seat passengers, facing backwards. I hope it was legal because they were Police vans!

 

[andys]

I think it's likely vehicle specific depending how it's been certified.

 

[Ads_Essex]

I believe you are exempt from wearing a seat belt if you are in a purpose built seat that is made for travelling whilst facing backwards..

 

[Stuart Campbell]

I have my second row seats facing backwards all the time in the Caravelle. I don’t see why they’d make them swivel if it wasn’t legal.

 

[DXX]

I believe you are exempt from wearing a seat belt if you are in a purpose built seat that is made for travelling whilst facing backwards..

Facing backwards doesn‘t help if you are rear ended or roll over, I’d be using a seat belt anyway.

 

[cgtmiles]

I have factory fit swivel captains seats up front and there is a warning symbol in the passenger b pillar saying no to driving with the passenger seat reversed, which is pretty obvious as the belt isn’t on the seat (not sure if there is the same in the drivers side ) I’m sure if it wasn’t allowed in the rear seats there would be the same symbol in the back too

 

[Ads_Essex]

Facing backwards doesn‘t help if you are rear ended or roll over, I’d be using a seat belt anyway.

Likewise. I was answering his the OP’s question on the legalities.
As for the safety element of the question, you’ve hit the nail on the head (insert relevant pun here).