Seat Belt Laws?

[cgau]

Does anyone know what the seat belt law is? Has anyone ever recieved a ticket for anyone in the back not in safety belts?

[Hitchhiker]

It varies by state, check this chart.

[wa8yxm]

In most states there are two seat belt laws.. Now, the one on paper varies from state to state, Some states require all passangers, or all under xx years of age to be belted no matter where they are sitting, others only require front seat if over xx years of age, and xx varies, it may be specified as years, pounds or inches.

The other law is a law of physics

It says that you are EIGHT TIMES more likely to walk away from a serious crash if you have your belts on.. Air bags have no impact on this at all.. But you are EIGHT TIMES more likely to live if you have your belts on.

The penalty for violation of this law.. Should the car crash, is very often DEATH

I highly recommend wearing belts

In my time as a Police dispatcher I typed several messages to HQ that all started with "Reference Fatal accident, followed by a number.

NOT one victime in all those accidents,,, NOT ONE.. was belted

I know of several accidents where one person out of 4 or more, in the car, had a seat belt.. And that one person walked away.. The others... Well, let's just say not wearing their seat belt was the last mistake they ever made in this life.

[423X2]

I don't know what the law is, but everyone in my RV uses a seatbelt.

[Rick Long]

So where are the seat belts on busses... especially SCHOOL Busses?

[wardy]

Good point Rick. I thought (but don't know) that we were under a different classification for seat belts, open containers of alcohol etc. We also travel buckled most of the time. However I allow my family to go use the restroom and in some cases get a bite to eat. My wife has slept in the rear bedroom as well. Someone out there must know the correct answer as it applies to RV's.

[wardy]

Okay, here it is:
Seatbelt Laws

In my state (Florida) RV living area's are exempted.

[Wayne M]

The laws of each state are different.

I wonder if the seat belt laws are reciprocal?

[jzick]

Here is another link for seat belt laws - have not verified accuracy except Florida
http://www.rvhelpdesk.com/seatbelt-laws.html

[Pigman]

Now that everyone has quoted the law, let's talk practical. I taught Highway Safety, seat belt and car seat safety for 8 years, and worked closely with law enforcement and emergency responders. Wear seat belts whenever possible. No exceptions.

That said, unless the people traveling in OTHER THAN THE FRONT 2 SEATS are bouncing off the ceiling, a law enforcement officer will probably ignore the rear. Seat belts are not required in the rear by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, so if there are belts installed, some are good and some are poor to dangerous, and a number are missing. Furthermore most state laws don't address RV's so cops and judges don't want to deal with them. In addition, the chance of someone challenging a ticket and being successful are excellent, so the LEO's and judges don't want to go there.

Again, that doesn't mean you shouldn't wear belts when in motion, but that you probably won't get a ticket for not wearing them in the rear of an RV.

If someone really wants to discuss seat belts in school buses, post again. There are valid design, engineering, practical and financial reasons why seat belts are not used on school buses.

Once again. I definitely endorse wearing belts at all times. I do and so does DW, and we recommend them to all in the strongest terms.

John

[BigRedLancer]

My couch has two seat belts. There is a small sticker on the wall behind the couch that states "This seat is not intended for occupancy when vehicle is in motion." So what am I supposed to do?

[Pigman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedLancer My couch has two seat belts. There is a small sticker on the wall behind the couch that states "This seat is not intended for occupancy when vehicle is in motion." So what am I supposed to do?

You have to do the best you can. If you need the seat, use it. If you think the belt would be a benefit to at least keep the occupant from slamming about the cabin and hitting other things, use it. Side facing seats with belts MAY cause spinal injuries, but the Air Force has rows of side facing seats in their transports for troops. A lot of this cra* is driven by the lawyers, who know absolutely nothing about crash protection, good, poor, or bad.

Sorry, but these issues will not be easily or quickly solved, as the population using RV's that have a problem seating extra passengers is very low. Further, how many of these people with the problem have a crash sufficient to cause severe injuries to the people occupying this seating position? Very, very few, obviously. So..., not enough blood on the problem to get the powers that be's attention. It doesn't solve your issue, but it's just how it is.

Unless I know a lot more about who you intend to put in these seats, their general behavior, weight, age, availability of other options, your travel preferences as far as miles/hours traveled, break time and frequency, etc, I couldn't hope to come up with some reasonable suggestions. In cases like these, go with your gut. Think about worst case, and think about not so bad. Since you're obviously concerned, you're way ahead of your contemporaries. Your general feel for what's best for YOU and you family will probably be pretty good.

Sorry I can't give more, but in this case there is no one solution. It's all relative.

John

[MoRV]

State laws aside, this summer we are taking a trip in the MH and taking the DH's cousin with us........SOMEONE is going to have to sit in side facing seating for the entire trip. We have seatbelts on the sofa, and a seatbelt on the barrel-type chair that is behind the passenger seat. Where can I sit and belt up, and feel that I will be reasonably protected in the event of an accident? Both the chair and the sofa are bolted down....

[dezertcamper]

Per the California DMV Recreational Vehicle and Trailer Handbook
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648.pdf

Seat Belts
Always wear your safety belt when driving. Even though many motor homes accommodate passengers in places where safety belts are not required by federal law (i.e., dining table), if the area has a safety belt—wear it. Riding in a place which is not equipped with a safety belt increases the danger of injury in case of an accident.

Now here is where California laws get crazy!

Transporting Passengers
People are not allowd in a trailer coach while its being towed. (VC 21712[d])
People are allowed in a fifth wheel trailer coach while its being towed. (VC 21712)
A camper with people in it must have an unblocked exit door which can always be opened from both inside and outside. (VC 23129)

So the way I look at it, In California you can sit anywhere in a MH without a seat belt. It is recommended that if the location has one you should wear it, but it is not mandatory.