Seat belts and anchorages:

The condition of every seat belt fitted to the vehicle will be tested. This includes front, side or rear facing seats and includes child restraints/seats and disabled person belts. There must be no cuts in the webbing anywhere, the stitching must be sound and buckle arrangements must work properly and be free from fractures. Recoil mechanisms on inertia reel belts will be tested with the seat unoccupied and must recoil fully. Couplings must release under normal conditions and when loaded by pulling on the belt.

The inertia locking mechanism is not tested and is not required to work for the purpose of the test.

The minimum fitting requirements are complex:

Anchorage points were required for front seats in vehicles first used from 1st January 1965. From 1st April 1982 anchorages points were required for every rear seat (Construction and Use Regulation 46).

Prior to 1st April 1981, cars must have at least a two point fixing belt (one which restrains the upper part of the body but doesn't include a lap belt) in the drivers and specified front passenger seat.

From 1st April 1981, the drivers and specified front passenger seat must have a three point lap diagonal belt (static or inertia reel). Therefore vehicles first used from 1st January 1965 must have seat belts in the front but the type depends on year (Construction and Use Regulation 47)

From 1st April 1987, rear seat belts must be fitted.

Where two seats are fitted in the rear (a seat is generally 400mm of seat space i.e the EEC "bum" width) a three point inertia reel belt is needed in one of the seats, doesn't matter which. If it hasn't got that then each seat must be fitted with either a lap belt, child restraint belt, disabled persons belt or three point static belt.

Where three seats are fitted in the rear a three point inertia reel belt is needed in one of the outboard seats and one of the remaining seats with a lap belt, child restraint belt, disabled persons belt or a three point static or inertia reel belt.

Alternatively a three point static belt can be fitted to any of the seats and one of the remaining fitted with a child restraint or disabled persons belt.

If none of the above are met then every seat in the rear must be fitted with either a lap belt, child restraint belt, disabled persons belt or a three point static or inertia reel belt. These belts can be fitted in any combination.

As a general rule therefore, from 1st April 1987, rear seats need one belt if two seats are fitted and two belts if three seats are fitted. Remember these are the minimum legal belts that must be fitted but all belts fitted at the time of test must comply with the requirements.

Vehicles first used before 1st April 1987 do not need seat belts in the rear but if they're fitted they get tested. Vehicles first used before 1st January 1965 don't need any seat belts but if fitted they get tested.

Child seats secured by adult seat belts must not disconnected to carry out the test, the tester will examine the adult belt as presented and should issue an advisory note to say a child seat was fitted at the time of inspection. The requirements are the same for disabled person belts and child restraints but these will only result in failure if they are permanently fitted to the vehicle structure or vehicle seat ie by nuts/bolts etc.