Seating Capacity Regulations

[Teotwauki]

This may already be common knowledge but ...

I was talking to a fellow Defender driver at one of the sites I work at. He has a TD5 complianced to seat 10 people, with 5 seats as standard (That is, unless he brought the vehicle with the seats removed already). He inquired with the RTA, Wyong Highway patrol and the RTA, and the response he got was that you may seat up to 10 in the vehicle, so long as all saftey belts are used. Specificaly, if 7 people are in the vehicle, two must be in the front, three in the middle, and the other two can sit on the wheel arches in the back, without an actual seat base, or belts.

He was quite clear that he had spelled out the question specificaly, the highway patrol seargent had given him a signed letter with the regarding laws. He will be printing me a copy at some point.

My 200tdi is only complied for 5, so it doesn't effect me anyway, but some of you will no doubt find it of use. I am also interested to find out what your thoughts are regarding the matter.

Apparently his vehicle has a QLD compliance plate but is now NSW registered. He had asked specificaly if the law would change from state to state, but was told that it was a federal law, and applied throught.

If and when I get a copy I will post a copy for you to read/keep with you.

[Teotwauki]

As an afterthought, What's the seating capacities for series 1 80" and 88" ? My partner and I will be moving to a property with a tripply garrage soon, and am thinking of trying to find one to restore.

[Bushie]

I would have thought if it was complianced to seat 10 then it would have had seat belts for 10.


Martyn

[numpty]

Our old Stage 1 was a 10 seater originally and I removed the rearmost seats and the centre front seat. Then to get it registered in Qld it had to be complianced as a 5 seater. I to, would have thought that to be legal to seat 10, it would have to have 10 seat belts

[Teotwauki]

He didn't say if it had 10 seats as standard, and I'm not sure if he knows, although he's dropping a copy of the letter off at work on moday for me to pick up. So I'm curious to see exactly what it states. As I said, the way he describet it was that the vehicle does not actualy -need- to have the seats for you to seat people there.

I still can't imagine this is how the RTA intended it, especialy considering it is a newer vehicle, perhaps they were under the impression that it came standard as a 5 seater, complianced for 10.

[mudmouse]

I hope he gets something from the RTA and his insurer, because that's who really counts .... I couldn't give a bugger what the HWP Sergeant writes in a letter. And what authority does he have?? No offence to Rob (i think thats him up there) but Police enforce law compliance, not make them (thank goodness).

You've got to have it in writing from the RTA (and RTA engineering signatory if modified outside the vehicle standards) and the insurer.

Anything else is horsefeathers.

Matt.

[numpty]

RTA are who matter, not what the local plod reckons. AFAIK all Defender Stn Wagons have been 5 seaters until the Puma.