I was wondering if anyone has got any knowledge on the legalities - my friend's car has passed the MOT with a rear seatbelt which is torn nearly right through - as a new one is £110, she said she will just sew it back together.  But I'm thinking what if she has a crash, even if through no fault of her own - the stitching on the belt might snap and person wearing it be injured, in which case would she not be liable, by knowingly having a faulty seatbelt, never mind putting someone at risk? 

It should not have not have passed the MOT, in the event of an accident yes she would be liable if she tampered with it !!!

I think it's a dodgy garage, as on her last car she had a seatbelt in the same condition - it was never used luckily (that seat/belt), but it passed the MOT several times like that.  I once worked in a garage, and even a frayed seatbelt used to be a failure, let alone one torn almost right across..

I don't know how it passed the MOT - my oldest dog chewed my seatbelts when he was young and then (11 years ago!) a new one would have been £75. I was told I had to replace it as it would fail the MOT, I didn't have much money so got one from a breaker's yard for £35 :-)

I certainly wouldn't risk someone's safety for the sake of getting a new one - if she can't afford it she shouldn't let any passengers use it, IMO.

Don't accept a lift would be my advice, if she is not concerned about the seat belt what else is she not concerned about, insurance?

> I think it's a dodgy garage, as on her last car she had a seatbelt in the same condition - it was never used luckily (that seat/belt), but it passed the MOT several times like that.  I once worked in a garage, and even a frayed seatbelt used to be a failure, let alone one torn almost right across..

is that not hugely dangerous to the person in front as well?

My car almost failed it's MOT because the rear seatbelts were slightly frayed due to the cage rubbing against them. I was told they might not pass next year, but was ok for this year, just. I was advised to replace them when I could.

I would hate to be in a car where the passenger in the back was 'refrained' with a dodgy seatbelt. :-(

I'm just worried stitching is not going to hold if something does happen - I may email DVLA, then they are bound to say exactly what everybody on here is saying - so she would have to accept then that she is doing the wrong thing by not replacing the seatbelt, that would be official.  She won't take my word for it unfortunately!  And as you say, the person in front is at risk, I hadn't even thought of that.

> And as you say, the person in front is at risk, I hadn't even thought of that.

my OH is not keen on seat belts and i have had to cajole him into wearing one. i eventually won by saying that he has the right to risk his own life but who was he to chose for the person in front of him?

> is that not hugely dangerous to the person in front as well?

Your quite right it sure is, if the driver had to break suddenly the passenger in the back if not wearing a seatbelt or if the belt is defective, would hit the seat infront at the same speed the car was traveling at, before the stop (if that makes sense) I remember seeing this on a tv campaign, the mother driving, daughter in the front passenger seat both wearing seatbelts, son in the back not belted, when the driver had to break to avoid a collision, the car stopped but the son did not get restrained by a seatbelt and carried on going, he smacked into the driver seat, crushing his mother to death. I know it was not real and sorry it's not nice, but it shows the importance of seatbelts even those in the back.

That in itself is a vehicle defect.

If i stopped a car which had a faulty seatbelt like that i would be issuing a defect notice which requires someone to get this fixed within a time limit, they have to get it done and a form signed to then bring back to the station to say its been done by a legitimate firm. This will then cost you more money to get fixed.

There is no way i would be allowing this one to go on, get the belt fixed for everyones safety.. You never know when you're going to need it..There are some stupid idiots on our roads and you can never predict what another driver will do and when you need to slam on those breaks..

Please tell your friend to get this sorted..

As for not wearing seatbelts its an offence for the driver not to wear one and also for the driver not to have children strapped in. As for adults not wearing them who are passengers, this then lays on the passengers themselves whether to wear one or not, a fine can still be issued but not to the driver.

Please belt up, the nasty accidents i have come across where people have not been wearing belts and also the lives and the less serious injuries people have had due to wearing them..

Food for thought!!!

If you know that she will not get this fixed and therefore she is putting people at risk , you could perhaps make an anonymous call to Crimestoppers and hopefully they would pass it on to your local station . She might then get a visit which makes her fix it .

I would have no problem reporting a drink-driver who could kill someone , this faulty seatbelt could also kill someone .
Oh , and i wouldn't use that garage for my MOT's  !!

thats where i got it from to. a brutal but important campaign

She (or you!) needs to report the testing station If they are passing that what else are they letting thru
Chris

I was just about to say the same tatty-end,they should be reported if you think they are doing MOTs incorrectly.
That is a serious offence.

My cousin died last year in a road accident the coroner at her inquest said if she'd have been wearing her seatbelt
she would have survived and not left 2 of her children orphaned, her other child motherless and her family distraught
at losing her.

We don't know why she wasn't wearing her seatbelt - she lost her mother (who did wear a seatbelt) in a road accident when she was 12yo.
So who knows if this affected her judgement with seat belts.

But this would be my plea to you all please please make sure you wear your seat belts.
Don't let your family go through what my extended family has.

I would like to report them, but my friend won't, so without her as 'proof', well, I don't have any proof then really.  So not sure what to do - I think the same, how many faulty seatbelts or whatever else, are they letting pass the MOT's.

> I would like to report them, but my friend won't, so without her as 'proof', well, I don't have any proof then really

I think i would be having a word with trading standards then , they may have had other complaints .

I always thought ( and i am sure someone on here will put me right !)  that the MOT garage was only responsible whilst the car is in the garage and they are only saying that it is safe at that time  , because once you drive out you can alter the car then blame them .

> I would like to report them, but my friend won't, so without her as 'proof', well, I don't have any proof then really
>

Don't know how much things have changed but OH did MOT tests some years back, he stopped due to change of jobs but Son took car to place where they failed some OK bits but let other things thru (it was a bit of a shed!) Son was wingeing but OH reported MOT test station and they were spot checked with 'set-up' car and ended being done and loosing their test status. this gets round the 'car taken off site' thing.
have a try and also try trading standaerds as suggested for the safety of other road users.
Chris

I am suprised it got through the MOT , they obviously completely missed it. There must be no tear at all on the belt.

I had a tiny tear in mine at the cars first MOT , it was about 2 cms from the end so actually would have had no impact and that is what it was failed for. I think it was about £100 to have it replaced by them.  

Your friend should have failed the MOT with a faulty seat belt you can always pick up a s/hand one from a breakers year. But a faulty seat blt is a no no for MOT??

They shouldn't have 'missed it' I'm sure!  I worked in a garage years back, sometimes helped out with MOT's, and seatbelts were definitely checked!  I think with this garage now, if you know them, then they will just pass the MOT - possibly with a stranger they might not do it..