Pollensa : Fitting an extra seat belt

My Pollensa has two forward facing seatbelts in the rear dinette area. Has anyone considered fitting or fitted an extra belt(s) in the rear facing dinette seat(s)? Full belt or lap strap? 

I let my three children use the van with the grand kids and one has three kids which necessitates five seatbelts in total if they all want to travel together.

Many thanks.

 Martin

It would probably be best to speak to A/S about this, because if anyone knows about the structural aspects of the Pollensa it will be them - and you need to be certain about the structural strength of whatever the seat belt mountings are fixed to.

I suspect that the most difficult thing about a modification like this will not be the technical difficulty of doing it safely, but the difficulty of getting it signed off by someone qualified to say (in writing) that it is safe.

Regulations change over time and although not retrospective (except once) seat belt rules that applied at the date of registration have to be adhered to, they changed in September 2016

Any change requires an Individual Vehicle Assessment in order to get the seat added to the V5, this is where Rooperts comment comes into play.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274716455343?ViewItem=&item=274716455343

For the sake of protecting a child is this too expensive? There would be some additional cost to provide the mounting that is commensurate with the device. There is no point paying for this and bolting it to a piece of ply

He specifically stated the rear facing seats not sides

I have to disagree on the last point and it is doable IF YOU CAN GET THE SIGNOFF.

The problem with that is finding the suitably qualified person. An ordinary garage or bodyshop welder is not going to suffice but near me is a specialist vehicle modifier for disabled passengers and they will fit anchors suitably specified for a fee. There is no real difference between what the OP wants and the points fitted in a Berlingo et al to retain a wheelchair.

The problem is only engineering after all. I have never quite understood for example that seat belts that can hold about 2 ton are ALWAYS fitted with bolts that can hold 20

No responsible company would undertake  such a job  consequences of failure would be horrendous  to the passenger, and the company,

Is this of any help

When fitting seatbelts, they must comply with the latest British or European standards and be marked accordingly with either the ‘e’, ‘E’ or BS ‘Kitemark’. The seatbelt anchorage points should also be designed so that they will be capable of withstanding the high forces of an impact. We strongly recommend that seatbelts and anchorages are professionally installed by qualified persons (such as a commercial garage or seatbelt specialist).


And more info here 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/converting-a-van-to-carry-passengers-in-the-rear/converting-a-van-to-carry-passengers-in-the-rear

Hi
    If you really want it done, I think the idea of going to a conversion specialist is a very sensible option, there are company's that do minibus conversions as well ,wheel chair assist vehicles.
 Alan,

Molly3 wrote:No responsible company would undertake  such a job  consequences of failure would be horrendous  to the passenger, and the company,

You could argue that about any work they do if it has safety implications. Using a "responsible" company  means they will be insured for the work they do.

If they are insured to remove the entire rear crash beam but maintain the physical integrity of a car modified to take a ramp system and secure a wheelchair for use during travel I am sure they can work out how to fit a seat belt anchor.

Insurance is the key point. I am qualified to design and install a seat belt anchor that would comply with engineering requirements but I am not insured to do it for a 3rd party. I used to design ad hoc repairs to passenger aircraft (don't I love baggage handlers  ) and carry them out. An inspector would verify the design and confirm the work and as a result the repair was covered by the company insurance.

There is an entire industry for the manufacture of specialist vehicles for all sorts of tasks that fall outside the original type approval for the base vehicle, they still have to be issued a certificate for the IVA. The idea that only large motor manufacturers have the wherewithal to produce something fit for the road on a one off basis is nonsense. Small operators do not have to go through the entire EU safety tests including crash testing to produce something.

Does AS?

Thanks to everyone who responded.......I suspected it wasn't going to be straightforward!

As my daughter and her husband (ie the ones with the three kids) are more likely to be staying at a single location rather than touring in the Pollensa, I'll probably end up driving the Pollensa to and from the site for them and coming back in their car, given the likely cost of getting the work done and passed by qualified experts.

I have to say it's great to "pick the brains" of fellow AS Owners. I suspect there's unlikely to be a problem or question that comes up that hasn't previously been considered or experienced by someone on this forum!

Once gain, many thanks.

   
martin

And having a car available  is a bonus .

Hi Martin, I've just bought a 2000 Pollensa and have the same quandary. I have two forward seats belted but three rear passengers. The vehicle falls outside the registration date being older and the way I read the regulations, I can carry an unbelted passenger but it's the 'drivers responsibility to ensure they are safe'. 

The sideways seat seems a lost cause for a three-point belt. The rear-facing seat appears to be a good starting point for certainly a two-point belt but major structural work looks to need to be considered to provide a head restraint.

Short of strapping the third child to the roof rack, I'd be interested in anybody who actually found a solution. (Contraception is clearly too late!)