Are head restraints a legal requirement?

[TwoSheds]

Since I have made the RRC into a pickup I find that I often need access over the seat-backs.
If I remove the head restraints this is a lot easier, but it is not that easy to just whip them out - I need to recline the seats first (and if you know the RRC seats you will know that this is not as easy as it sounds - especially when you have a stiff mechanism like me, Matron)
I think that as anti-whiplash devices they are not terribly effective and so I was wondering if it's ok (legal) to drive around without them.

Anyone know please?

[bandiflip]

Hello Roger...I dont thinks its illegal but it is better to have them in,can save alot of pain if you ever get shunted....For the sake of un clipping them when you need to access the rear compartment...I'd leave them in..

[tecnick]

Would three door seats help/fit? that way you could flip 'em so to speak.
just an idea.

Cheers Nick

[Rod]

flip 'em are you making pan cakes

[TwoSheds]

Hello Roger...I dont thinks its illegal but it is better to have them in,can save alot of pain if you ever get shunted....For the sake of un clipping them when you need to access the rear compartment...I'd leave them in..

Yes I agree that it's better to have them - although I seriously doubt if mine would make any difference in a shunt since they are so floppy.
They also make reversing more difficult.
With regard to 'un clipping' them - as I alluded to earlier, with mine car you first have to recline the seats using the painfully slow rotary knob (which is impossible if there is any amount of kit rammed behind the seat anyway) in order to gain sufficient clearance to pull them out. It is not the sort of manoeuvre that could be described as easy...

Would three door seats help/fit? that way you could flip 'em so to speak.
just an idea.

Cheers Nick

And a good idea too - I have looked at the fittings and it looks like it wouldn't be too bad a job to fit a couple of normal fold-forward seats from a normal 3-door saloon car - and that is probably what I will do in the long run, but in two weeks I am taking it to Dartmoor with a mate and so I am looking for a quick fix at the mo...

Thanks for the suggestions guys

Roger