Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Seat belt anchorage points

54.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation applies to—

(a)a wheeled motor car first used on or after 1st January 1965;

(b)a three-wheeled motor cycle the unladen weight of which exceeds 255 kg and which was first used on or after 1st September 1970; and

(c)every heavy motor car first used on or after 1st October 1990.

(2) This regulation does not apply to—

(a)a goods vehicle (other than a dual-purpose vehicle) which was first used—

(i)before 1st April 1967; or

(ii)on or after 1st April 1980 and before 1st October 1990 and has a maximum gross weight exceeding 3,500 kg; or

(iii)before 1st April 1980 or, if the vehicle is of a model manufactured before 1st October 1979, was first used before 1st April 1982 and, in either case, has an unladen weight exceeding 1,525 kg;

(b)a bus being—

(i)a minibus—

(A)if first used before 1st October 1990, constructed or adapted to carry more than twelve passengers; or

(B)if first used on or after 1st October 1990, having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3,500 kg; or

(ii)large bus (other than a coach first used on or after 1st October 1990);

(c)an agricultural motor vehicle;

(d)a motor tractor;

(e)a works truck;

(f)an electrically-propelled goods vehicle first used before 1st October 1990;

(g)a pedestrian-controlled vehicle;

(h)a vehicle which has been used on roads outside Northern Ireland and has been imported into Northern Ireland, whilst it is being driven from the place where it has arrived in Northern Ireland to a place of residence of the owner or driver of the vehicle, or from any such place to a place where, by previous arrangement, it will be provided with such anchorage points as are required by this regulation and such seat belts as are required by regulation 55;

(i)a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 16 mph;

(j)a motor cycle equipped with a driver’s seat of a type requiring the driver to sit astride it, and which is constructed or assembled by a person not ordinarily engaged in the trade or business of manufacturing vehicles of that description; or

(k)a locomotive.

(3) A vehicle which was first used before 1st April 1982 shall be equipped with anchorage points which are designed to hold securely in position on the veh icle, seat belts for the driver’s seat and specified passenger’s seat (if any).

(4) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6) a vehicle which is first used on or after 1st April 1982 shall be equipped with anchorage points which—

(a)are designed to hold securely in position on the vehicle, seat belts for—

(i)in the case of a minibus, a motor ambulance or a motor caravan—

(A)if first used before 1st October 1990, the driver’s seat and the specified passenger’s seat (if any); or

(B)if first used on or after 1st October 1990, the driver’s seat and any forward-facing front seat; and

(ii)in the case of any other passenger or dual-purpose vehicle every forward-facing seat constructed or adapted to accommodate one adult;

(iii)in any other case, every forward-facing front seat and every non-protected seat; and

(b)comply with the technical and installation requirements of Community Directive 76/115 or 81/575 or 82/318 or 90/629 or ECE Regulation 14 or 14.01 or 14.02 or 14.03 whether or not those instruments apply to the vehicle, so however, that the requirements in those instruments which relate to testing shall not apply.

(5) The requirements specified in paragraph (4) shall not apply to—

(a)a goods vehicle first used on or after 1st October 1990 and having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3,500 kg, but any such vehicle shall be equipped with two belt anchorages designed to hold securely in position on the vehicle, lap belts for the driver’s seat and each forward-facing seat; or

(b)a coach equipped with anchorage points which are designed to hold securely in position on the vehicle, seat belts for all exposed forward-facing seats and which—

(i)comply with the requirements in paragraph (4)(b); or

(ii)in any case where the anchorage points form part of a seat, do not when a forward horizontal force is applied to them, become detached from the seat of which they form part before that seat becomes detached from the vehicle.

(6) Instead of complying with the requirements in paragraph (4), a vehicle may comply with Community Directive 76/115 or 81/575 or 82/318 or 90/629 or ECE Regulation 14 or 14.01 or 14.02.

(7) Subject to paragraph (8), a vehicle of a type mentioned in paragraphs (4), (5) and (6) which is fitted with anchorage points other than those required by those paragraphs shall comply with the requirements in paragraph (4)(b) or, in the case of a coach, the requirements in paragraph (5)(b)(ii) in respect of any additional anchorage points as well as in respect of the anchorage points required by paragraph (4), (5) or (6) to be provided.

(8) The requirements in paragraph (7) shall not apply in respect of additional anchorage points first fitted before 1st April 1986 in the case of a vehicle of a type mentioned in paragraph (4)(a)(i)(A), or before 1st October 1990 in the case of a vehicle of any other type.

(9) In this regulation—

(a)“exposed forward-facing seat”, “forward-facing front seat”, “lap belt”, “seat belt” and “specified passenger’s seat” have the same meaning as in regulation 55(12);

(b)a seat is a “non-protected seat” if it is not a front seat and the screen zones within the protected area have a combined surface area of less than 800 cm²; and

(c)“screen zone” and “protected area” in relation to a seat, shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 4.3.3 of Annex 1 to Community Directive 81/575.