Do I have to install seatbelts?

[mrs ratbox]

check on what i said above re: passengers if yor only fitting them in the back

[FB MAD]

Here's where I bought mine from.I bought lap/sash for the outer seating positions and lap for the inner ones.You just tell them what belts you want and what model car they are going in.

Kit comes with all belts,bolts,spacers,washers and under floor mount plates to conform with ADR's for seat belt restraints.

http://www.hemco.com.au/seatbelts.html

[ejdave]

Where abouts are you Kat?
Im a seatbelt installer, we do many modifications and accessory fitting to all sorts of cars at work. Im in Canberra.
Unfortuneatly the new type belts look really out of place in older cars, but I can get them in a variety of colours, and if you can find some old original metal buckle sets I can fit them, and have them re-webbed if necessary. We've done a lot of old holdens.

Installation can be a be tricky if you dont know what your doing. It involves drilling holes through your floor, fixing plates underneath etc

Dave

[Katchel7]

Im in SA......mmm I was hoping to get some seatbelts that kind of look original, yet still compliant...what s the chance of that happening?

kat

[Blacky]

Im a seatbelt installer, we do many modifications and accessory fitting to all sorts of cars at work. Im in Canberra.
Dave

Dave , have you put your details in the suppliers section? I thought there was only 2 places in Australia that can legally reweb seatbelts ?

[Trev]

Here's where I bought mine from.I bought lap/sash for the outer seating positions and lap for the inner ones.You just tell them what belts you want and what model car they are going in.

Kit comes with all belts,bolts,spacers,washers and under floor mount plates to conform with ADR's for seat belt restraints.

http://www.hemco.com.au/seatbelts.html

I got mine from Hemco as-well.

[puddes]

I actually got a corrected response from ACT roads today to the same question I put to them in December last year. ACT is bringing in new laws from March 2011 (not sure if it is National or not). While seat belt rules do not apply to 'vintage' cars like fb's and ek's that were not manufactured with belts, under the revised rules exeptions will not apply for kids aged below 7 years. So, in the ACT, I will still need an engineer to install anchor points for booster seats so that I can anchor the child seats behind the bench seat in my ute, with lap belts to secure the bottom of the child seats like a normal sash belt does. I am waiting for confirmation from ACT roads that they are ok with lap belts. Happy to pass on anything I get although don't treat it as gospel that it will apply word for word in SA.
The other risk you need to keep in mind is how your local authorities will view the modification. I will opt for a engineer to do mine simply to avoid possible grief later down track with rego. Not the cheapest option in the short run.

[Croaky]

Hi There,

Im new to the forum...so any help on this would be great. I have just recentlu purchased my 2nd FB Holden, this one has been on club rego and has not had seat belts fitted. I wish to keep it as original as I can., however I do have kids and will look into getting belts fitted, but in the mean time I just want to get it rego'd andon the road. I have been informed that if the vehicle has had no mods etc and is in orginal condition it can legally be rego'd without belts in Queensland, can anyone just confirm this.
All comments appreciated.

[Croaky]

Thanks SunnyTim for the reply.

I have spoken with Qld transport and they have requested that I get that information regarding Rego without seatbelts to be placed on a club or similar letter head and signed off. Can you perhaps do that for me or is that just too much to ask for?? I am hoping to register the vehicle tomorrow. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks again for your assistance.

[stinky]

I have spoken with Qld transport and they have requested that I get that information regarding Rego without seatbelts to be placed on a club or similar letter head and signed off.

Aren't Dept of Transport supposed to dictate the rules

[Croaky]

That was exactly my thoughts....I guess he was probably trying to state a 'just in case' situation.

[Blacky]

no - its because none of these clowns have the balls to make a decision

[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.