law on seatbelts need info

a local cop stopped me for not wearing my seatbelt and i told him the car wasnt made with seatbelts in 1949.i was driving my 49 merc at the time.i played dumb and didnt get a ticket but he said ALL people in front seat must be belted.the next week i was at a car show and a state trooper was there and i asked him about the law and he said if the car was made before 1965 without seat belts then i was o.k..im in illinois and want to know whos right,if anyone knows the facts please let me know.next time im stopped i would like to present the cop with the real facts because playing dumb is too much work.

 

Didnt come with them and therefore not enforceable to have/use them. Simple.

 

put seat belts in your car.for your own safety ,thats not dumb!

 

Run a web check regarding your states DMV laws. Print it out and carry it.

 

Not wearing a seatbelt is a good way to thin out the gene pool...

 

x2!!!!!!! if you dont care for them just do lap belts! its better than nothing!

 

I am thinking it was '62 the first year they were mandated, but it could be '65. Either way you are ok to run without them. However, if you do decide to install them, you must wear them even in a car that would normally be exempt. Now kids covered under child restraint laws in IL must be secured regardless of the year of vehicle.

 

Not 100% sure, but I believe anyone under 16 no matter what year car has to be restrained.

 

Yup the toughest, and best drivers survive!!!

If it wasnt factory it aint needed 'sides they are extra weight!!

I believe they became std in '64 in cars and mabey later in p/u's

 

i got pulled over in my 54 chevy. he wrote me up for no seat belt. i told him it didn't come equipped with any. he still wrote me. while i was waiting to fight the case. i printed info from the dmv website and other locations. went to court with a stack full of paper work. case was dismissed.

 

seat belts became standard in 68 accross the board

if you think a 3 inch piece of nylon is gonna help ya ...........

 

this is why i keep a dmv book in my glove box. cop tried to ticket me for driving over a double yellow to pull into a driveway, he lit me up and said you cant drive over the double yellow. gave him my info, while he wrote the ticket i looked it up and showed it to him.he scratched his head and said, ok you're right and let me go!

 

Newer than sixty eight here.

 

I'm a cop magnet. I always keep a printed copy of the state vehicle laws in my glovebox. I've had to show them to the police more than once when they don't even know the laws that they are paid to uphold. Look up your states vehicle inspection laws, they can usually be found online, print it, and keep yourself out of court. I print the whole do***ent from their website so it shows the website url at the bottom of the page and they know I'm not trying to pull a scam when I'm proving that I'm following the rules. Here's a section of the do***ent that applies to vehicles here in TEXAS....

Chapter 4 - Inspection Procedures
04.05.00 Inspection Items for Vehicle Cl***es
05.01 Inspect Every P***enger Car For: (Listed in suggested order of inspection)
* Check for evidence of Financial Responsibility
Horn
Windshield Wipers
Mirror
Steering
Seat Belts
Brakes (system) (Parking - beginning with 1960 models)
Tires
Wheel ***embly
Exhaust System
Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)
Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models)
Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
Stop Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
License Plate Lamp (1)
Rear Red Reflectors (2)
Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models)
Head Lamps (2)
Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number
1988 & newer - inspect for window tinting or coating
Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old.



05.02 Inspect Every Pickup, Panel, or Truck Under 80 Inches Wide ForListed in suggested order of inspection)
* Check for evidence of Financial Responsibility
Horn
Windshield Wipers
Mirror
Steering
Seat Belts
Brakes (system) Parking - (beginning with 1960 models)
Tires
Wheel ***embly
Safety Guards or Flaps (if four tires or more on rearmost axle)
Exhaust System
Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)
Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models)
Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
Stop Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
License Plate Lamp (1)
Rear Red Reflectors (2)
Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models) (mea-sure if 1959 model or earlier)
Head Lamps (2)
Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number
1988 & newer - inspect for window tinting or coating
Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old.
Overall width is determined by measuring from the widest part on one side to the widest part on the other side of the vehicle. In some vehicles this may be the dual wheels which would be considered as part of the width. Do not include an outside mirror or mirrors in determining overall width.




PS: There's more to it than just the above, that gets more specific about the "Antique Vehicle" registrations, I just don't feel like loading up this thread with the info specific to Texas since you're not from here.

 

well every 67 car ive owned and my friends have owned have never had seatbelts in them and every 68 and newer has

 

Indiana is 64, I have a print out that states 63 an older was an option, and 64 became mandatory equipment.. But also states that vehicle has to be stock unmodefied for this to be enforced. So as my 63 never had then , It has lap belts now . No big deal really and may save your *** some day

 

Fair enough about the laws & rules etc I like the idea of wearing them, a quick clip strikes me as a lot more pleasurable than a Superman impersination through my windscreen.

A question though, if you wanted to retro fit some seats belts to a car that didnt come with them, like say a '49 Caddy front and rear what do you do? Are there after market ones to suit or is it a case of making something fit?

Considering the safety issue would obviously like to make it as safe as possible

 

--------------------
I can think of number of people, regardless
of age, who *need* to be restrained!

Mart3406
==========================

 

-------------------
I remember that back in the late '50's
and early-60's - before seat belts became
mandatory standard equipment on all
new cars, there were some 'universal-type'
aftermarket kits available for installing
seat belts on cars that didn't have them. I
don't think anyone is making retrofit seat
belts kits for '49 Caddys or for anything else
now though, so it pretty much comes down
to adapting a seat belt set-up from a newer
car. If you just want lap belts that shouldn't
be too hard to do. Ideally the lap belts should
be anchored to the frame. If that's not possible,
then reinforce the area around the floorpan
where the belts attach to floor with a piece of
steel plate on the bottom side of the floor.
3/16 plate is good - and the bigger the area
covered by the plate the better. Also be
sure and use high grade hardware - ie -
grade 8 or better.

Mart3406
=========================

 

Here in Britain the laws are such that if they were'nt fitted as a factory standard,the cops and the annual inspection can't touch you.

Still, I'm planning on retro fitting 3 point belts to mine.
The thought of head ****ing a 50s dash/steering wheel doesn't appeal to me, I'm ugly enough as it is....

I saw a programme a while back about the early days of car safety, the x-ray pic of the young girl with the Buick radio knob embedded in her head was an eye opener!

I'd rather be ugly and safe.........

 

Actually, it will. If you think otherwise, your choice. Like it was already posted, no seatbelts thins the gene pool. Seriously, you don't want to wear one, fine, but you're not going to put a seat belt on your kids, either?
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

Lots of good points have already been brought up ....both on the topic of the original post and off.... I might as well weigh in on both.

Yes...I've always been told/read that if the car wasn't equipped with them (belts) that they can't ticket you for not wearing them. If they have been added and you don't click em...they can write you up.

As far as the choice to wear or not wear goes... I feel that if **** starts going bad, I have a better chance of keeping the car under control if a belt has me planted where my feet can reach the pedals and my hands can reach the wheel. I also have a better chance if any p***engers haven't become projectiles and struck me.... Sure it may never happen like that, but this is a hot rod site, it's not like nobody here has ever pushed the envelope a bit. I always buckle up and insist that my p***engers do the same.


I've got a buddy on another forum that has mentioned that if a female officer is ever pacing you going down the highway and taps her shoulder harness while looking at you...It's really not a good idea to look back at her and point at your lap....claims it really happened.

 

I got my first and last ticket for not wearing one back in??? '87 I think... The Nova SS I drove at the time didn't have any.. That's 'cause the original owner had yanked them out.. At least the fine at the time was 25 bucks for the first offense... The following weekend I went to the local junk yard and got a set and installed them. Now days, it's like I feel naked without them.... I hate getting tickets...

 

--------------------
LOL! Well if you do, it could either get
really good, or end up really, really bad!
But unfortunately, most likely, the latter!


Mart3406
--------------
[ "When faced with a choice of one of
two evils...always choose the evil you
haven't tried before!" - Mae West ]
========================

 

I got one in an off topic car once that was complete and udder bull ****. I was driving a '92 Blazer and a cop sitting at a corner flew out and pulled me over.

He said I wasn't wearing my belt and that I put it on as he was pulling me over. I told him he was nuts, he then proceeded to tell me that he could see the chrome end of the belt reflecting off of the sun, and that is a dead giveaway that someone doesn't have their belt on, blah blah, blah...

We'll if you've ever been in Chevy S-10, it's the only car I've seen where the belt comes from the bottom and not the top. So when you don't have the belt on, the buckle is at the bottom, near the floor.

I took a photo and brought it into court with me, the judge was holding the picture upside down and said "what is this, I don't even know what I'm looking at. The officer said you didn't have your belt on, that means you didn't have your belt on, end of story".

Justice is swift.

 

You can stop playing dumb, pre-1965 requires no belts. This is from the Illinois Vehicle Code under Equipment. You can go to the source here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilc...pterID=49&SeqStart=127100000&SeqEnd=138300000

<CODE>(625 ILCS 5/12&#8209;603)</CODE> <CODE>(from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12&#8209;603)</CODE><CODE> </CODE><CODE></CODE><CODE></CODE>
<CODE> </CODE><CODE>Sec. 12&#8209;603. </CODE><CODE></CODE><CODE>Seat safety belts. </CODE><CODE></CODE><CODE></CODE>
<CODE> </CODE><CODE>(a) No person shall sell any 1965 or later model motor vehicle of the first division unless the front seat of such motor vehicle is equipped with 2 sets of seat safety belts. Motorcycles are exempted from the provisions of this Section.</CODE><CODE> </CODE>
<CODE> </CODE><CODE>(b) No person shall operate any 1965 or later model motor vehicle of the first division that is ***led or licensed by the Secretary of State unless the front seat of such motor vehicle is equipped with 2 sets of seat safety belts.</CODE><CODE> </CODE>
<CODE> </CODE><CODE>(b&#8209;5) No person under the age of 18 years shall operate any motor vehicle, except a motor driven cycle or motorcycle, with more than one p***enger in the front seat of the motor vehicle and no more p***engers in the back seats than the number of available seat safety belts, except that each driver under the age of 18 years operating a second division vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,000 pounds or less that contains only a front seat may operate the vehicle with more than one p***enger in the front seat, provided that each p***enger is wearing a properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt.</CODE><CODE> </CODE>
<CODE> </CODE><CODE>(c) (Blank).</CODE><CODE> </CODE>
<CODE> </CODE><CODE>(d) The Department shall establish performance specifications for seat safety belts and for the attachment and installation thereof.</CODE><CODE> </CODE>
<CODE>(Source: P.A. 89&#8209;120, eff. 7&#8209;7&#8209;95; 90&#8209;89, eff. 1&#8209;1&#8209;98; 90&#8209;369, eff. 1&#8209;1&#8209;98; 90&#8209;655, eff. 7&#8209;30&#8209;98.)</CODE><CODE> </CODE><CODE></CODE>

 

If your going to put seat belts in your car do it right and install them so they will hold you if need be, I've seen them bolted to the floor with 1/4 inch bolts and flat washers!!

 

In Louisiana, not required if not original equipment.

Bob

 

these guys have a good selection of 2 and 3 point seat belts as well as colours ...

http://www.seatbeltplanet.com/

 

Wasn't this discussed about a million times on here!!Just do what you want!!If you have time to go to court to argue the case then do it, if not wear the belts!!
Whats next to argue helmet laws!! Or my favorite" tractor grills on cars"!LOL
Use the "seach" that is provided & stop wasting web space!!
JimV