You, your partner or your children are sleepy, and there is a long road ahead of you, so you think about going to sleep or letting your family sleep in the back of the motorhome. However, you must make sure that you are being safe and legal in what you do and what you let your family do.
This article will discuss both halves of the walnut, the safety aspect and the legal aspect. There are a lot of different opinions on the internet and plenty of information available from different sources. Although it may seem like a lot to look through, we have gathered all the information and put it into this article.
We sincerely hope that you find this article interesting and informative and that it allows you to make the best decision regarding what to do when you are tired in your motorhome.
Legal Aspect
For motorhomes manufactured before October 1988 and 2006, the driver and the front passenger must have seatbelts and the seatbelts must be in use. At lower speeds, a back passenger can legally go without a seatbelt.
If it is created after October 1988 and before 2006, then seatbelts must be fitted for the driver and forward-facing passengers, and these seatbelts must always be used when the motorhome is in motion.
For motorhomes manufactured after 2006, seats that have been previously identified as travel seats must have seatbelts, and the seatbelts must be used by passengers.
So, for motorhomes that have been manufactured before October 1988, back passengers can legally sleep in the bed if the motorhome is at low speeds, however, you need to be both safe and legal, so let’s continue onward and look at the safety issues you will need to consider.
Safety Aspect
If you want to sleep in your motorhome, you will have to bear in mind that any force from a sharp break or change in acceleration could cause you to fall out of your or your children’s bed. Dependant on how hard you fall; death and permanent injury are possibilities. So do bear all of this in mind if you ever want to sleep, or let your kids sleep, in your motorhome.
You would not leave your phone on the edge of a table unsecured and then go on a journey with plenty of changes in direction and speed. Your children’s lives and your life are more precious than a phone, so bear that in mind if you want to sleep in a moving motorhome, too.
Injury is something to be avoided as much as you possibly can, but somebody in your family might need to sleep. One thing you might be able to do is to let you or your tired family member fall asleep on the car seat with the seatbelt on, so then they will be safer. Do what you feel is the safest thing to do.
With all of this considered, many people still let their families sleep in the back of the motorhome overnight. It all depends on how many things will come up. Unfortunately, you can’t account for everything. Unexpected things happen, like knucklehead drivers and fallen trees. Always be careful if you do let your family sleep in the motorhome. Permanent disabilities and even death could occur if your motorhome has a crash and someone is in their bed unsecured.
Conclusion
Now we have looked at the legal and safety sides of things, you will hopefully bear this in mind as you make your decision. Remember that the law states that everyone must be in seatbelts for motorhomes manufactured after 1988 and 2006, but for motorhomes built before then back passengers can move around when the vehicle is at low speeds.
Also, bear in mind how busy the road will be and how many turns you will take on your drive. We hope that this article has done just what it was supposed to do and educated you on whether to sleep in a moving motorhome.