Seatbelt Violation

A 1973 car without belts WILL get you a ticket in a heartbeat!
Everyone knows they came from the factory with belts and just because they aren't there won't save you from a ticket but it might get your car impounded! It all depends on how they deal with defective / missing safety equipment in your area.
Here in Washington they used to give you a fine and 30 days to present the car fixed to original condition. If you didn't present the car you get a bench warrant and when they pull you over next time it is impounded and you go to jail.
You may want to check to see what the law is and how it is enforced in your area.
I won't drive or ride in a car that doesn't have belts at least.

 

There is absolutely no good reason, no excuse, to drive without a seatbelt on, I don't care what the vehicle is or what problems it has. I've been in a couple of bad wrecks, the worst being back in 2001, my dad and I were going somewhere when a guy in a Camaro ran a red light and we t-boned him at 50-60mph. Yea, I had some bruising from the seatbelt, a sore neck, and I got slapped in the face with the air bag, but there is no doubt I would have been thrown through the windshield had I not had it on. From then on, I always buckle up every time I get in the car, even if I'm just running down the street. That wreck happened less then a mile from my house. My neighbor was out working in his yard, and heard the impact.

But you also need to keep in mind the age of these cars, the newest of the bunch now over 30 years old. That means if you have the original seat belts, they are 30 years old also. I was wearing my seatbelt when I wrecked my '74 Grabber, but after 31 years in the sun, the belt was not in good condition and snapped, so I got thrown into the dash anyways. Make sure your belts are in good condition.

If you are wearing your seat belts like you should be, then you don't have any cops to worry about...

 

My lap belts are in great shape. No fuzz or issues I can see. Retract okay, still ratchet properly and the buckle holds nice and tight.

The shoulder strap. the detachable one, was removed and is no longer with the car.
Both speeding tickets have had cops looking at my car and no ticket given. The last time a cop and a dog ran over my Comet with a magnifying glass too. Nothing.

God bless North Carolina.

 

I always use the lap belt in my Mavericks. It's just something I do without thinking about it. But I just can't stand the shoulder belt across my neck. On my one Maverick, the edge of the shoulder belt actually cuts into my skin. I put one of those seatbelt cover thinggies over the belt were it's supposed to go across my should, but that thing just ended up tucked under my chin. I do wish there was a way I could adjust the belt so I can use it the way it was meant to used. Do I worry about cracking my head into the windshield if I get hit? Definitely. But then again I also worry about getting my neck broke or my windpipe crushed by the shoulder belt. I have no problems with the shoulder belts in our old Chrysler K car or our Chebby pickup. It must be the way the shoulder belts are mounted on the roof of the Mavericks that gives me such a hard time.

 

you should always wear your seatbelt because its the law. But, just because its the law doesent mean its ALWAYS safe. Most of the time...yes it will save your life. That also has to do with your height also. My cousins grandmother, on the other side of his family, was DECAPITATED in a wreck due to her seatbelt. She was wearing it properly too. She was just short but still obeyed the law. Had she only been wearing a lap belt, she may not have lost her life. Sure she'd been hurt, but more than likely alive!! I think thats horsecrap.

 

Hi all. Here in California, at least to the best of my knowledge, it is a 'grandfather' type thing. If it came with the car, it is required. If it didn't, than is isn't.

However, I am sure there are some smart cops out there who know some of the old cars and what they had. Just hope you don't get pulled over by one of those.

I am also running my 72 without shoulder belts.

I will tell you the belts that I think made the most sense, and those were the (for lack of a better name) rigid belts like the early Comets had that had a shoulder belt, but it didn't retract. Seems to me they are much safer, as those retractables, when older have no guarantee of locking upon impact. I have been seriously thinking about putting a set in my 72 Sprint that is rigid.

My wife got in a wreck (actually a money setup) where she was doing 50, and these guys in front of her with an old Oldsmobile tank stopped dead in the road, and she slammed into them. She broke the windshield with her head, broke the hood latch with her knees, and while all this was going on nothing worked. The belt didn't latch, and the bag opened after everything was over. That, my friends, is why I don't trust retractable belts. She was driving a new Plymouth we just bought when she had that accident.

All have a nice and a safe Memorial Day weekend, and remember to fly em high.

Jack

 

I have a seatbelt question--is there anyone out there that makes repop seat belts of the Comet type, which has the harness and the lap in one piece?

Just wondered, as I know my belts in my Sprint are more than likely rotted.

Jack

 

Seat Belts

I don't wear seat belts. It isn't the Gov't business if I'm "safe" in my vehicle or not. My '66 Cadillac didn't come with seat belts.

 

Okay, there are a few things about seatbelts you should know.

1. You can still get a ticket if you are wearing a 4 point racing harness. Even though these are SFI certified, etc. they are not DOT certified and are therefore illegal. To be legal, you car must retain the DOT certified seatbelts for use when on the streets. Also, racing harnesses have a manufacture date and a certification expiration date of two years from manufacture date. Those of you racing in the faster classes know that this is a standard item in the NHRA tech inspection.

2. Most web style seat belts have a life expectancy of about 10 years. It is recommended that you replace these older belts because even though they may appear good, sunlight, sweat, etc. causes deterioration in the material and reduced strength.

3. 1-1-72 was the date that shoulder belts were required nation wide. Any car model year 72 and newer would be equipped with a shoulder belt from the factory. So only model year 71 and older could successfully claim that their car didn't come with one if the cops are even slightly up on the rules.

There are several companies selling replacement seat belts. A quick look through the archives shows this link:
http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=2290&highlight=seat+belt&page=4

which points to this website.
http://www.andoauto.com/retrofit.htm

I also ordered the 2.5" offset and find it to be completely annoying as the edge of the belt cuts into my neck. My next set will be ordered with the 8.5" offset to make it more comfortable.

Most after-market seat-belts cannot be ordered with the offset to bring the angle of the seatbelt down to a more comfortable level. I just spent 3 hours trying to find any other company offering a similar or better product. No luck.

So kudos to Corbin Johnson for the correct answer 5 years ago.

 

thats one thing that makes me scratch my head, you can wear a harness that is supposed to save your life at 150mph but you can wear it on the road where most of the time your not over 65-70mph

 

The SFI certification is only for two years and does not test for things like wear and abrasion resistance. The DOT certification is more geared towards longer life expectancy.

I agree that if your racing harness is within it's certification period, you should not get hassled for it. Seems rather silly, doesn't it?

 

May be, but you can rest assured they will add on about $85 "court costs".
They have been hot and heavy around here today, was planning on slipping out on the road and make a test run with mine, but since I don't have the buckles for the front belts yet, no tag or insurance, either, I decided to wait until next weekend when at least I'll have the tag and insurance.....

 

I'll have to agree. Bubba was wearing his seatbelt and it didn't help him at all. If He hadn't of had it on, his neck might not have been broken due to being slammed sideways and suddenly stopped by the shoulder belt, but then again, He might have been ejected out the window and the truck pushed on top of him, something we'll never know. I have gotten used to wearing one due to the fact that the DOT is so hard on us truckers about them, so it is a natural thing to put it on when I get in a vehicle.

 

Washington State Patrolman told me that there was no record of a "loss of life" accident when seat belts were worn. I have personally witnessed two accidents where the wearing of seat belts would have saved lives. I have also seen industrial accidents where if the operators had been wearing the seat belt on the equipment they would not have been injured at all. Instead serious injuries were sustained and in one case it was life threatening - and I was the one who ran the forklift that lifted the equipment so we could pull the man out from under the equipment. He suffered broken hips, ribs and a broken skull. He was in too much of a hurry to put the lap belt on. He had 8 months in the hospital to re-evaluate his priorities. He is back to doing his job but I have since retired... Hope he learned.
For the past 11 years I have been an industrial driver safety instructor. I hope that I have made some impact on the statistics.

 

that he has ever heard of!