Installing a three point seat belt

shortdog

Good morning to all you lovely knowledgeable people out there:)

I've googled, but not really got far, so thought I'd ask on here. My car currently has a lap belt in the middle at the back (Kia Rio 1.3 LE, 04 plate in case it matters) and I won't put the kids on a seat with just a lap belt. I know you can buy replacement 3-point seatbelts, but could I have one fitted to replace the lap belt? My poor OH is now fed up with being squished into the back between the kids whenever we have an extra child and need to go out, which is fairly regularly, (it's one of the few times that I'm really glad he can't drive:rotfl:).

Thank you for all your assistance

Gloomendoom

Unless the structure of the car's bodyshell has been specifically designed to fit a three point seat belt, it is unlikely that fitting one is a practical proposition.

A child in lap belt (sitting on a booster cushion) may actually be safer than an adult in a lap belt. They are smaller and less likely to smack their faces on anything in front of them. It is not ideal for either though.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

shortdog wrote: »

Good morning to all you lovely knowledgeable people out there:)

I've googled, but not really got far, so thought I'd ask on here. My car currently has a lap belt in the middle at the back (Kia Rio 1.3 LE, 04 plate in case it matters) and I won't put the kids on a seat with just a lap belt. I know you can buy replacement 3-point seatbelts, but could I have one fitted to replace the lap belt? My poor OH is now fed up with being squished into the back between the kids whenever we have an extra child and need to go out, which is fairly regularly, (it's one of the few times that I'm really glad he can't drive:rotfl:).

Thank you for all your assistance

you would need to check whether the other models in the range of the rio have a 3 point belt on the very same year as yours, if so, what type, is it an inertial reel in the boot, or is the inertia reel in the back of the seat.

if its in the seat then youd be looking at buying a salvage rear seat with one fitted. or looking to go into kia main dealer and having the boot one fitted.

an incorrect placed or incorrect anchorage position could mean a MOT failure.

Joe_Horner

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

an incorrect placed or incorrect anchorage position could mean a MOT failure.

It would have to be very obviously incorrect for that because MOT testers don't have "official" access to manufacturers' specs for that sort of thing. the only fail available on private passnger cars is "a seat belt not securely fixed to the seat or the structure of the vehicle. For example, a securing bolt loose".

So, for example, if you mount a non-standard belt to the frame of your driver's seat, it still passes the MOT even if the seat was never designed to take the forces involved as long as the bolts are tight!

That said, a poorly fitted 3 point is likely to be far less safe than a correctly fitted lap belt, especially in a centre position where the seat back, rather than the pillars, is likely to take a lot of the forces involved in any collision.

mattyprice4004

Sounds like you need a bigger car rather than different seat belts.