Horsebox Passenger Seatbelts

 Passenger seatbelts for horseboxes

I have written a short update here regarding passenger seatbelts for horseboxes (current legislation). This is a topic that pops up every few months and one worthy of a little explanation. Hopefully, it will be useful for families needing to safely seat more people.

Common questions

• Can you fit seatbelts to existing horsebox seating? – Unfortunately, the answer must be no. The reason is that the full seat, including belts, mounting frame, anchor points and bolts all need certification to be legal.
• Do you have options for seatbelts in a used horsebox living area? – For a used horseboxes there is a possible solution, however, it is a very expensive option that few owners would ever pick. In essence it entails stripping the complete seating area and fitting certified seating and the tracking that mounts to. Usually the water heater, space heater and auxiliary battery system must be relocated. Pricing can vary wildly depending on the construction of the horsebox and the layout of the existing seating.
• How can the seats be arranged?  – The seating must be forwards or backwards facing and never sideways.
• My cab only has two seats, can it have 3? – Yes, for customers with two single cab seats, we can usually offer the option of a double passenger seat in the cab. This is a neat, cost-effective solution to legally add one more passenger and legally carry 3 people.
• Can you manufacture a 3.5 tonne or 4.5 tonne horsebox with an extra row of seats behind the cab? – We carefully considered this option when designing our new Aeos horsebox models, and although we could meet all the current criteria for seating and seatbelts, and probably sell many extra horseboxes, we decided it would compromise payload, rear axle loading and ultimately our reputation! In essence it would be insufficient for anything but very smallest ponies.
• Can we have seatbelts in a new horsebox living area? – Yes, we can design and install seating with belts in a new horsebox. We already do this in the crew areas of our Police horseboxes. It is an expensive option, and payload is typically a deciding factor (see horsebox payloads).

Current seatbelt legislation

Before October 2007 seats in the living area of a horsebox did not need seatbelts and it was quite legal to carry unrestrained passengers whilst in transit if the horsebox was not overweight and had access from the cab to the living area.

EU Directive 2005/40/EC on the fitting of seatbelts states that from 20 October 2007 new vehicles must have seatbelts fitted on all seats except those seats intended solely for use when the vehicle is stationary.

There is specific legislation relating to the carrying of children onboard goods vehicles and by law, children must wear the correct restraint whilst the horsebox is in transit. Up to 3 years old children cannot therefore travel in a horsebox without seatbelts.

New legislation to the seatbelt wearing directive in May 2009 prevents more passengers being carried than there are seatbelts for in the living area.

All Horsebox Advice Topics

1. 1. Horsebox Payloads
   2. Horsebox Ventilation
   3. Horsebox Aluminium
   4. Horsebox Passenger Seatbelts
   5. Horsebox Safety Checks
   6. Before You Buy A Horsebox
   7. Horsebox Air Brakes