Preparing for the road
17
Fig 1
Designated passenger
seats within the
habitational
compartment of your
motorhome are
identified (fig. 1). Seat
belts are fitted for your
safety and must be
worn unless a
‘Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat
Belt Wearing’ is held. This Certificate must be
produced if asked for by the Police – seat belt
offences can result in a fine.
CHILD SEATS
Choosing/Buying
Go to a reputable retailer such as Halford’s,
Mothercare, Toys R Us, John Lewis etc. Most
reputable retailers will have trained child seat
advisers on site and will offer a fitting service.
Ask the advisor to fit various seats to the vehicle.
Once a correctly fitting seat has been installed,
satisfy yourself on its suitability for your child
and the vehicle before buying as it is important
to use a correctly fitting seat in your motorhome.
CAUTION: The child seat you use in your
car may not be suitable for mounting on a
motorhome seat.
Choose the right seat for your child’s height
and weight.
Ensure it has an official approval mark (usually
the United Nations ‘E’ mark). The current UN
standards is Regulation 44.03
Never fit or use a second hand car seat. It
could have been damaged and may not meet
modern standards. The fitting instructions may
also be missing.
Positioning/ Fitting
Dependant upon the child seat type, the
most suitable position for the child seat to
be fitted may be the front passenger seat of
the cab (NOTE airbag advice below) or the
window seat of the forward facing rear seat,
the isle seat in the rear is not a recommended
position, advice should always be taken from
the retailer on the suitability and security of the
seat in the motorhome.
Read and follow the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions for fitting the seat.
All Swift Motor homes are fitted with inertia reel
seat belts, however, the child seat must be tight
in the adult seat. Push all your weight into the
child seat as you tighten the belt.
Keep a copy of the child seat fitting instruction
in the motorhome for easy reference.
Any doubts, ask an advisor to show you how to
correctly install the seat.
Airbag
Never fit a rear-facing child restraint in a seat
with an active airbag in front of it.
Forward-facing child restraints should be
positioned as far back from the airbag as
possible. Check the base vehicle handbook.
THREE POINT SEAT BELTS
This section refers to the seat belts located in
the habitation area of your motorhome.
Fastening the seat belt:
Insert tongue into buckle; a positive ‘click’
indicates correct assembly.
Releasing the seat belt:
Press the red release button, the tongue will be
ejected from the buckle.
- The belt is designed for use by one person
and must not be put around a child seated
on a person’s lap.
- The belt is suitable for restraining most
child seats and boosters.
- The belt should at all times be adjusted and
used in accordance with the instructions.
No excessive slackness should be present.
- Once installed the diagonal should pass
across the centre of the shoulder and the
buckle should lie just on or below the hip.
- Avoid twisting the webbing during use.
To Next Page
Loading...
