I run a daycare and more then one of my parents is a fireman and one a policeman. Tonight one of my dads that is a fireman picked up his boys. He had been at a community service event and it was about safety. I am in Ontario Canada and the Ministry of Transportation was there with a booth and the Ontario Provincial Police had a both. So both Days Saturday and Sunday he went to both booths and asked about children in Motorhomes and seat belts and car seat safety. He said when he asked they all got this look on their faces that they just wanted him to go away with his questions. They had no answers, all they said was the driver and passenger seats have shoulder belts to put seats in and your child in. He did ask if a booster seat was ok for the child driving, as he could not believe one of them said the drivers seat was acceptable...lol. Basically if you are stopped you will more then likely know more about the seat belt laws where kids and Motorhomes are concerned. He did find out that they do think that any tether plate that is installed should be done professionally, and if the car seat is to face forward to install it face forward, if it is back facing, instal it that way. After a long post, we still have no definite answers. So I am sticking with my plan of purchasing harnesses for lap belts and installing in the dinette and removing the table. The policeman that I also know called everywhere and everyone he knew or was told to call and found out nothing also.

Thanks for the info. It's sad and shame but echoes a lot of what you come across in mh's and that's the lack of oversight and regulation in regards to build and safety.

Thanks for the followup, Burwoods!

mthockeydad wrote:Thanks for the followup, Burwoods!Not much of a followup...lol. He even asked if they could get up and walk around, and they said no laws against it..lol. He did ask them how they would know if the tether plates were installed professionally or not, and they said they had no idea and would not check anyway. Scary really, but this Gramma and Poppy are going to MacGyver our own...I am sure there are people on here old enough to know who and what MacGyver is..lol.Good luck with your modifications to seat belts if you so need to

There are no seatbelts for passengers on school buses or Greyhound buses. Should a MH be treated any differently?

azdryheat wrote:There are no seatbelts for passengers on school buses or Greyhound buses. Should a MH be treated any differently?Every seatset on buses is designed as a "pod" for the safety/protection of passengers.By contrast, most motorhomes are, at least from the cockpit back, flimsily constructed, easily crushable packing crates full of poorly tethered objects, all of which can become projectiles in the event of an accident. The safety experts mentioned in the O.P. got it exactly right- the only place in a motorhome with any passenger protection at all is the cockpit. Some Class B's being an exception to that rule.

children in Motorhome Update | Good Sam Community

Effy
Explorer II
May 29, 2014
Thanks for the info. It's sad and shame but echoes a lot of what you come across in mh's and that's the lack of oversight and regulation in regards to build and safety.
mthockeydad
Explorer
May 29, 2014
Thanks for the followup, Burwoods!
Burwoods
Explorer
May 29, 2014
mthockeydad wrote:
Thanks for the followup, Burwoods!

Not much of a followup...lol. He even asked if they could get up and walk around, and they said no laws against it..lol. He did ask them how they would know if the tether plates were installed professionally or not, and they said they had no idea and would not check anyway. Scary really, but this Gramma and Poppy are going to MacGyver our own...I am sure there are people on here old enough to know who and what MacGyver is..lol.

Good luck with your modifications to seat belts if you so need to
azdryheat
Explorer
May 29, 2014
There are no seatbelts for passengers on school buses or Greyhound buses. Should a MH be treated any differently?
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
May 29, 2014
azdryheat wrote:
There are no seatbelts for passengers on school buses or Greyhound buses. Should a MH be treated any differently?

Every seatset on buses is designed as a "pod" for the safety/protection of passengers.

By contrast, most motorhomes are, at least from the cockpit back, flimsily constructed, easily crushable packing crates full of poorly tethered objects, all of which can become projectiles in the event of an accident. The safety experts mentioned in the O.P. got it exactly right- the only place in a motorhome with any passenger protection at all is the cockpit. Some Class B's being an exception to that rule.
tommy_g
Explorer
May 30, 2014
Francesca Knowles wrote:
azdryheat wrote:
There are no seatbelts for passengers on school buses or Greyhound buses. Should a MH be treated any differently?

Every seatset on buses is designed as a "pod" for the safety/protection of passengers.

By contrast, most motorhomes are, at least from the cockpit back, flimsily constructed, easily crushable packing crates full of poorly tethered objects, all of which can become projectiles in the event of an accident. The safety experts mentioned in the O.P. got it exactly right- the only place in a motorhome with any passenger protection at all is the cockpit. Some Class B's being an exception to that rule.
I don't understand the idea of "pods" on buses. They are laid out the same as commercial aircraft and the planes have seatbelts. School buses are another matter. The school districts save money by not getting seatbelts installed. They are an option on most buses. I would personally like to see it required by law as in autos. Our unit does have a bolted flexsteel seat with a belt behind DW's seat. However, We only take one grand/great grand at a time.
conmoto
Explorer
May 30, 2014
And the "cockpit" is where most of the deaths I have read about in the last few wrecks have occurred. The passengers have made it alive and the folks up front buckled in have died. Do a search, it sure seems that has been what has been happening.
Movin__on
Explorer
May 30, 2014
If you have ever driven a school bus you would know that seat belts would not be a good idea. The kids are in a padded little pod. (The seats are close together and well padded). They may bounce around but don't get hurt.

Who would fasten the seat belts for the small children? Do you realize how much longer this would take to run a route? Seat belt buckles would end up being used as something to smack another kid with. Not a good idea.
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
May 30, 2014
conmoto wrote:
And the "cockpit" is where most of the deaths I have read about in the last few wrecks have occurred. The passengers have made it alive and the folks up front buckled in have died. Do a search, it sure seems that has been what has been happening.

:h
That's not how it works- those who make such general statements are obliged to prove them if they expect to be taken seriously. Do please link us up with some reports supporting your remarkable conclusion.
J-Rooster
Explorer
May 30, 2014
azdryheat wrote:
There are no seatbelts for passengers on school buses or Greyhound buses. Should a MH be treated any differently?
Good Question, especially if a motorhome or a bus slides off a embankment and is rolling over side to side.

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