Topic: Seat belt laws and older cars.....

[GroovieGhoulie]

I know there's mandatory seatbelt laws in place in the states, blah, blah, blah.

But, what if you are driving in an older car that does not even have seatbelts? Are you still gonna get written up?

Also, I know that cops say they use the presence of the shoulder belt to tell if a person is wearing a belt or not. Once again, what if it's an older car with lap-belts only and after pulling the person, you are shown a buckled lap-belt. Is that person going to get a ticket because you don't KNOW if they just put it on?

Where's the line stop in all this nanny-state insanity?

[cbjunkie]

are you kidding me? nanny-state?? dude, go to Britain. you would #$%* yourself.

we have it pretty good - our gas is half what Europeans pay and our laws/restrictions are so much looser than anyone elses it's not even funny.

[dusterdude]

if i remember correctly any car built after 1967 or 68 HAD to have belts in it.i think it was 1963 they had to be offered as an option.if you dont have a shoulder harness you dont need it.just tell the stupid cops to learn what year cars had them and what didnt.

[eldar]

Yup, you cannot get written a ticket if your car is stock. If you dont have belts, then you cannot get a ticket.

[GroovieGhoulie]

are you kidding me? nanny-state?? dude, go to Britain. you would #$%* yourself.

we have it pretty good - our gas is half what Europeans pay and our laws/restrictions are so much looser than anyone elses it's not even funny.

Well as a Hardcore Libertarian, ANY Malum Prohibitum law pisses me off and trips my "Nanny State" alarm.

So you can imagine how perpetually angry I am at the entire world and its laws, not just the US.  A true "Libertarian Paradise" does not exist anywhere in the world, because if it did, I would move there tomorrow.

[cbjunkie]

  me too. let me know if you find it...

[mlinder]

My 69 did not come with blinkers from the factory.
Ergo, legally I do not have to have blinkers now.

Same thing with seatbelts in cars.

[Dave Wyatt]

IIRC, 65 or 66 was the first years for US sold automobile to have seat belts standard.  Anything manufactured after Jan. 1, 1968 for sale in the US  had to have shoulder belts as well.  Early 68's only had lap belts standard due to mid production year change.  Side marker lights were required for all 1968 and newer vehicles as well.  As other's have said, if was not equipped that way, you are not required to have them.

Now on hte other side of the coin, if someone installed belts in an early car and you were found not using them, you might be in hot water. 

[Uncle Ernie]

I had a terrific brush with the law on that.  While I was on dialysis I had tubes in my shoulder that hung out about 8-10 inches and there was NO WAY there was going to be a belt across that shoulder.  Sure enough, I got a ticket. So I decided to fight it in court.  Before my court date, I hade a double transplant.  When I showed up in court, I just pulled my shirt up and showed off the railroad tracks-looking staples that went ALL the way from down there to up here.  The clerks face  !  I think he almost fainted. No words exchanged- he signed a paper and waved me off.   That was mighty satisfying.

[cbjunkie]

hell yeah! that's the greatest traffic court story EVA! 

[eldar]

Different vehicles follow different laws. I have a friend with a 76 international scout 2, basically a blazer. It has lap belts but no shoulder belt. So the 1968 thing is either invalid or only applies to cars. 

Another thing is that iff you are too large to use the seatbelt, you do not need to wear it.

[Rushoid]

Seatbelts are not required in pickup trucks in Indiana. At least, up until just recently. I think the law might have changed in the last couple of years. I believe Georgia is this way too.

[seaweb11]

Had a canary yellow 65 ford van. No belts. Got pulled over all the time......not on original, no tickets.

God I loved that van, 3 on the tree, used to get stuck in gear all the time. Stop, get out crawl under front and bang the shifter rods and jump back in again

Aerodynamic like a brick

[mrbreeze]

I had A 76' Chevy stepside with 250-6 banger 3 on the tree.You had to go into 2nd gear just right or the linkage would hang up. My ex used to hang it up about everytime she drove it so I didn't let her drive it much.I did it like once in a great while.I used to pop the hood and move the linkage rods there on the firewall.

[Rushoid]

I thought I was the only one that liked those old vans. I'd love to have one. I've always preferred the out of the ordinary vehicles. 

[ProTeal55]

My 55 does have seatbelts, but not from the factory.
The previous owner installed them...
I never wear them, because all the lap-belt is gonna do is rip me in half if i do get in a accident.
I would rather die in one piece 

[Dave Wyatt]

The shoulder belt deal in 1968 applied to cars, pickup trucks got them in 78 I believe.  I know my 78 Ford had them, but I don't remember the 77 Chevy having any.  Rear bumpers on pickups were still optional until a few years ago

Seat belt use in trucks is optional in Indiana, but it will be mandatory one of these days, just give them time.

[ProTeal55]

Seat belt use in trucks is optional in Indiana, but it will be mandatory one of these days, just give them time.

Would be easier to duck while beig shot at without wearing a belt..
I hope they catch that sniper and hang him upside down from his balls....

[Steve F]

I had a terrific brush with the law on that.  While I was on dialysis I had tubes in my shoulder that hung out about 8-10 inches and there was NO WAY there was going to be a belt across that shoulder.  Sure enough, I got a ticket. So I decided to fight it in court.  Before my court date, I hade a double transplant.  When I showed up in court, I just pulled my shirt up and showed off the railroad tracks-looking staples that went ALL the way from down there to up here.  The clerks face  !  I think he almost fainted. No words exchanged- he signed a paper and waved me off.   That was mighty satisfying.

In Illinois, you can get an exemption for having to wear seatbelts for "medical or other reasons".  Don't know who you have to see for this, but maybe it's possible where you're at.

[74cb750]

Hey, the politicos only want to protect us from ourselves.
Come on people.!

[dusterdude]

the politicians bought the insurance companies drivel about saving money,those of you that have seatbelt/helmet laws,did your insurance costs go down,mine didnt.

[Uncle Ernie]

They don't buy drivel, they're given contributions and vacations research junkets.

[dusterdude]

ya got that right

[Rushoid]

I hope they catch that sniper and hang him upside down from his balls....

They got him a couple of days later. Some 17-year-old wack job. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/NEWS02/607260547

Apparently he was a little miffed... http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060727/NEWS02/607270394
"'Zachariah informed me that he was present at both of these locations and that he did, in fact, do the shooting. However, he did the shootings only with the intention of releasing pressure because of the argument that he had with his family members,' Indiana State Police investigator John Kelly testified." Oh, well that's ok. You're free to go.

[bill440cars]

Different vehicles follow different laws. I have a friend with a 76 international scout 2, basically a blazer. It has lap belts but no shoulder belt. So the 1968 thing is either invalid or only applies to cars. 

Another thing is that iff you are too large to use the seatbelt, you do not need to wear it.

         eldar, I guess you haven't heard but, they have something called "seat belt extenders" for people that the seatbelts don't fit.

         My 69' road runner had seat belts and separate shoulder belts that attached to the seatbelt or to a piece up by the sunvisor, when not in use and that's where it stayed most of the time I had the car.  Later on,  Bill