Road safety: seats, anchorages and head restraints (amend. Directive 74/408/EEC)

The European Parliament adopted a report based on the draft by Dieter-Lebrecht KOCH (EPP-ED, DE) and reached an Agreement with Council that conference buses should be exempted from the new rules. A compromise amendment stated that they will not apply to vehicles of category M3 (of class III or B) of a technically permissible maximum laden mass exceeding ten tonnes in which side-facing seats are grouped together at the rear of the vehicle to form an integrated saloon of up to ten seats. Such side facing seats will  be fitted with, at least, a head restraint and a two-point belt with retractor type-approved in accordance with Directive 77/541/EEC. The anchorages for their safety belts must comply with Directive 76/115/EEC. This exemption will have effect for five years from the date of adoption of the Directive. It may be extended if reliable accident statistics are available and there has been further development of restraint systems.