Seatbelt Laws

[truck69]

First I want to thank everyone for their pictures and comments on 8-bolt wheels. I got alot of responses. My question today is I have my 69 chevy custom with lap belts and I was going to pay over 100 dollars to put in shoulder belts also. But what year did they (Police) start making the shoulder belt mandatory? If its not my year of my truck I will just keep the lap belts.

Thanks. Truck69

[Bill72BB]

If your truck originally came with lap belts then that is all you need to have to be legal ,if you use them.
Some of us have installed various shoulder belt from the S 10 to after market boltin's .Here is 2 treads on the subject

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...shoulder+belts


http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...shoulder+belts

[JayDubBlazer]

I don't know what year it became mandatory but if it originally came with lap belts you can keep the lap belts.

[Beowolf]

I'm not sure what state you are in, or if it makes a difference. However, here in Washington, you only need the belts that the truck came with. My '71 came with two sets of lap belts - nothing in the middle. Therefore, the center passenger is not required to even wear one. If there is a seatbelt available, it must be worn before the "empty" seat can be used. Make sense?

Either way, without preaching too much, seat belts do save lives. I have belts in ever position, even in my '55 truck that came without any. Shoulder belts are better yet, but laps are better than nothing.

[jcueckert13]

manditory sholder belts came in to use bettween 1973 and 1976 i am not sure of the exact year but if it came lap belts you are not required to modify the truck to comply. a good example is my 63 dodge dart it came with no seat belts what so ever and they are not required.

[1969 GMC]

to add on to what everyone else has said, lap belts were standard from 67-72 (I think). Shoulder belts were an available option (if you ever look inside your cab and see the little plastic dot about where a shoulder belt would mount, thats where they went). Shoulder belts are one of those really rare options for our trucks. Back in the time they were made, were carmakers/politicians as concerned with vehicle safety as they are today? The answer is no. If a cop tries to give you crap, just take the ticket they give you and contest it in court. It will make the cop look like an idiot if he even shows up, and the ticket will be thrown out of course. I once had a cop try to pull this with me, they had a "seatbelt trap" on the hwy when they enacted Ohio's new seatbelt law. But I got off scot free.

[lukecp]

My friend had a '76 with factory shoulder belts...not too sure about the earlier modles.

As far as the legality goes, as stated above all it needs to be legal is that you use whatever the truck came with stock.

I would STRONGLY suggest upgrading to shoulder belts. I put S10 belts into my truck and it has been the best $30 i have spent on my truck. $30 is cheap insurance when your life and limb are at stake

[jcueckert13]

ilke i said earlyer my 63 dodge did not come with seatbelts and i plan on getting pulled over and see if the cop gives me $hit

[O'l Buck]

I still say seat belt (and helmet) laws suck!!!!!!!!........granted, it is most likely safer to use them, but I don't feel like it's big brother's place to force us to use them.....btw, here in NE, if it came with a lap belt only, lap belt is legal, if it came with no seat belts, no seat belts is legal......unless you want to take your kids for a ride, in which case, they need to be in car seats and seat belts must be installed.

[Phillip Johnson]

I have a medical release that gives me the option NOT to use any seat belt, riding or driving. I wasted my shoulder BECAUSE of a shoulder belt. Now I have a choice and I choose NOT to use any. I have 2 tons of metal around me and that is good enough. My other ride has air bags except my Vette.
I got pulled over 2 weeks ago in Oregon and the cop started writing the ticket before he said hello. Then he asked for reg, lic, and insurance. I then asked "what did I do officer?". When he finally got off his high horse, he snapped back SEATBELT!. I then smiled and said, you might need this as I handed him my card issued from the State. That was one totally pissed off cop and I loved it. He was the same 5' a$$ that gave me a speeding ticket last year while I was being passed by a school bus full with children. I have been in my share of accidents since I started driving in 1969, and I have always been hurt more because of seatbelts. The time I was in a 2 1/2 flip, I would have been killed had I been strapped in because the driver side was totally crushed. As for myself, I choose to let the seat belt stay undone... My 2 cents worth.

[A.P.]

A few years ago in San Jose CA, while cruising at King St. and Story. Cops set up a check point to check up for driver license and seat belts. I got stopped and a cop walks up to my window was starting to write me a ticket. So I asked him what was the problem? He told me, no seat belt you get a ticket. I reply, but I have my seat belt on. I let go of the steering wheel and I pointed down. He sticks his head in thru the window and sees it. The cop's partner walks up to him and tells him that this old trucks came with lap belts only. I'm sure that cop felt stupid.

[Longhorn Man]

In 1974 lap belts were still standard. (To help us figure when they were mandated to use shoulder harneses.)
If you want to go by the letter of the law, then I'm willing to bet my next paycheck (complete with 30 hrs overtime) That if you were to investigate, you'd find out that you are not permitted to modify safety items in your vehicle.
That means, the only thing you can do by the letter of the law, is to add the stock shoulder harnesses. You can not add S-10 belts, nor any after market belts. The reason the feds have done this, is the fact that some one who does not know what they are doing has no idea if this modification is going to work properly in case of an accident. The place you bolt it down to may well be a crumple zone (not that this is valad on our trucks...no crumple zones)
The auto manufacturers spend millions of dollars to increase our chances of walking away from an accident, and they don't wan't some one messing with the stuff they have installed. (this is why it is also a no-no to install a 4 point or 5 point harness on a street vehicle..it may well be safer, but you nor I can really prove it on said vehicle, mounted said way)
No one can say anything about you having just a lap belt on, and like said in another post, take it to court if you do get ticketed.
I discovered this when my first truck was kicked back at the inspection station for having a later style 3 point harness in it. (I had just bought the truck and I thought they were original) The inspector showed me all the papers stating the legality of doing this, and then showed me all the forms and the costs of having this set up certified for use....it is not worth it.
You can do the swap, just don't get rid of your stock items.
Just what ever you do, if a female cop pulls up beside you and signals fo you to buckle up your seat belt, do NOT point into your lap.
This happened to someone on this board, and recently to me. I had forgotten all about the thread untill after she stabbed the brakes and got behind me to pull me over. She walked up and I was lauhing histaricly by the time she walked up p!ssed off.

[Blue Beard]

My parts book shows only the suburban had shoulder belts.

[lukecp]

I understand the legality issue of upgrading seatbelts....and they have a good point. But, i know of several "looser" inspection stations around my area that will let me git by with modified belts, or not even notice. And i feel much safer with the S10 belts, and i am sure they are much safer than the stock lap belts. I haven't got pulled over since i put in the S10 belts (i've been a good boy ), so i don't know of the local law enforcement's reaction yet.

[AndrewDT]

My Suburban has lap belts in front and none in the back. No sholder belts.

I intend on installing in the back but now I'm wondering if they all came with rear seat belts.

Anyone know if some trucks came with front seat belts only?

[Longhorn Man]

What book is that?
Here is a picture of an early 69 CST/20 Longhorn owned by longhornjeff. Well, it is the pic of his glove box door anyways. It lists shoulder belts on there along with a butt load of other stuff.

[krazy_texan]

i read somewhere but i forget where that lap belts and backup lights became a federal law in 1966 and that the shoulder belts became mandatory in 76, i am not sure in the truth in this except on the backup light part as my 65 did not have them

[Longhorn Man]

Looking at the picture I posted, I see it is not the best example, but trust me, this truck is in original condition, and I saw and drove this thing myself. It is a 69, and the shoulder belts were there.

[Hardrock2]

Ahhh, the great seatbelt debate! LOL!

I think the Feds mandated safteybelts for cars in like the early-mid '60's, BUT.........after a cop buddy and I read the IL vehicle code, when this debate came up, the 'belt laws apply differently to 2ND division vehicles!(Trucks) (This is in IL) I'd have to go back and read it again, but the upshot was the '65 1/2ton I was driving at the time was EXEMPT.

There is so much MISINFORMATION on seatbelt saftey, that it's hard to tell if they really "SAVE LIVES" or not.
There were NEVER any Gov't studies done to substansiate that claim. (Even if there was, how many people really believe your government wouldn't lie to you?) Same with Insurance Co. so-called "studies".
Here's a news flash.......ANYONE WHO STANDS TO REAP A FINANCIAL BENEFIT FROM A PRODUCT OR SERVICE WILL TRY THEIR DAMNEDEST TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT!!
What benefit?........VOTES!

Votes are like currency to polititians,
Every "saftey lobby" that is afraid of the dark, carries with it, a large chunk of "currency"

Is it any wonder politicians are so willing to sell-out your CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS for a handful of "VOTES"?

I firmly believe that in some, but not all cases, seatbelt use has, at best, moderately reduced injuries in crashes.
Do I wear them? Yes. When? When I choose to exersize my right to decide.

"Save lives"?
Probably.
"Cost lives"?
Probably.
I wonder what the true "NET" gain really is?
I can guarentee you this.......whatever is gained, is more than offset by the loss of yet another one of out constitutional rights.

I plan on installing factory shoulder belts in my '69, not so much for saftey, but just knowing I have them there, IF I CHOOSE to wear them.

(Surrendering soapbox)

Mike

[Longhorn Man]

Bummer most states will require you to wear the PITA shoulder harness though huh? (PITA becouse they are non-ratcheting and have no give to them)

[JayDubBlazer]

This will be interesting when I install my 2002 Chevy seats with the intergated seat belts in my blazer. I know it will not be legal but...