Seat belt legalities
Discussion
Yes they are legal. But they are at best ill-advised.
The problem with side facing seats (with or without seatbelts) is that in an impact, which most often is from front or rear, the generated G forces and impacts are likely to twist the spine and seatbelts will not prevent this. On the plus side a seatbelt will prevent the seat occupant from being propelled around the cabin and perhaps injuring others who are restrained, on the downside the seatbelt can cause injuries to the spine, neck and/or internal organs.
This from the DoT "Guidance: Converting a van to carry passengers in the rear"
Side-facing seatbelts
Our advice is that passengers are safest in a forward or rearward facing seat equipped with a lap belt or, preferably, a three-point belt.
Although side facing seats, with or without seatbelts, are not illegal, we would not advise that they are used. This is because seatbelts are not designed to be used with such seats. In the event of an accident, seatbelts on these side facing seats may help to prevent the wearer being thrown around the vehicle or from being ejected, but in a frontal crash they can increase injury risk by subjecting vulnerable parts of the body to higher loads than seatbelts used on forward facing seats. You should also bear in mind that child restraints cannot be fitted to side facing seats. In order to fit the required child restraints, you would need to have forward or rearward facing seats with full three-point seatbelts.
Link to full document
The problem with side facing seats (with or without seatbelts) is that in an impact, which most often is from front or rear, the generated G forces and impacts are likely to twist the spine and seatbelts will not prevent this. On the plus side a seatbelt will prevent the seat occupant from being propelled around the cabin and perhaps injuring others who are restrained, on the downside the seatbelt can cause injuries to the spine, neck and/or internal organs.
This from the DoT "Guidance: Converting a van to carry passengers in the rear"
Side-facing seatbelts
Our advice is that passengers are safest in a forward or rearward facing seat equipped with a lap belt or, preferably, a three-point belt.
Although side facing seats, with or without seatbelts, are not illegal, we would not advise that they are used. This is because seatbelts are not designed to be used with such seats. In the event of an accident, seatbelts on these side facing seats may help to prevent the wearer being thrown around the vehicle or from being ejected, but in a frontal crash they can increase injury risk by subjecting vulnerable parts of the body to higher loads than seatbelts used on forward facing seats. You should also bear in mind that child restraints cannot be fitted to side facing seats. In order to fit the required child restraints, you would need to have forward or rearward facing seats with full three-point seatbelts.
Link to full document
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