Is it unlawful or just unsafe?

[Jim Godward]

Just to throw a little rock in the game.  Check woth the safety people/seat belt manufacturers and see what they say about using a seat belt while seated sideways in a vehicle.  VBG

 

[Clay L]

Not really, unless you are traveling in New Hampshire.   From the Prevention Institutes article SEATBELTS: CURRENT ISSUES by By Toni Gantz and Gretchen Henkle October 2002:

While NH does not have a ADULT seat belt law they do have one for minors.  Belts are required for people under 18 years of age.

I lived in NH for 18 years and for the most part agree with the NH concept of personal freedom,  but this is one case I have a problem with.

On the other hand, while I lived there, some belt usuage surveys showed that NH folk's seat belt usuage was better than in neighboring MA where there is a mandatory seat belt law.


EDIT: I did a little research and it appears that NH now has about 64 to 70% (depends on the survey) seat belt usuage compared to about 80% in neighboring states.

 

[Betty Brewer]

Here's an interesting little twist.  I once heard (and now can't  confirm it with any factual posting) that if a manufacturer put a seat belt in the rig, he had to account for that weight in his CCC and so   manufactures were not putting in many  seals belts to  keep the CCC higher.
  Betty

 

[Kevin]

like I said before, I wear it in my wifes car and the motorhome, but I just hate being told to do it. I guess what I mean is I don't need to see studies, or have the government tell me to do something. It should be my choice.. I guess it's like this.. We all know that smoking causes cancer right?? and if you drink enough, you get that liver disease right?? so why don't they make that stuff Illeagal?? I figure they got a better chance of enforcing that then they do the seat belt laws.. I have to take mine off to get my wallet out everytime I get pulled over, then the cop ask.." were you wearing your seatbelt"...well duuuuuhhhh..kevin

 

[Ron]

In the same light do you fell that th government should not be requiring you to stop and stop signs, red lights, pull over for emergency vehicles, or tell you what the maximum speed you should drive? Laws are made to protect the public and seat belt laws fall into that category.  I knew a man that was seriously injured because the individual that hit him had been thrown out of the driving position when he it a slick spot and hit a curb resulting in his being unable to properly control that vehicle.  Sweat belt laws are not only to protect the individual but the public.  Laws are made to protect the public and obeying or ignoring the law is not something that should be a individuals choice.

 

[Betty Brewer]

What about when you're driving??

I always  buckle up when in the driver's seat or in any  passenger seat. 
Betty

 

[Ray D]

Kevin: I was going to stay out of this. Then you said, "I have to take mine off to get my wallet out everytime I get pulled over, ......" I have to ask. Is this a problem? Do you get pulled over, often enough to make that an issue?

I am not particularly fond of being told what to do, either. So, I minimize the opportunitys. I avoid getting pulled over even if that means I need to do something I didn't really want to do. (Like stay under the speed limit.)

To each his own.

Ray D  ;D

 

[Kevin]

Kevin: I was going to stay out of this. Then you said, "I have to take mine off to get my wallet out everytime I get pulled over, ......" I have to ask. Is this a problem? Do you get pulled over, often enough to make that an issue?

I am not particularly fond of being told what to do, either. So, I minimize the opportunitys. I avoid getting pulled over even if that means I need to do something I didn't really want to do. (Like stay under the speed limit.)

To each his own.

Ray D  ;D

NO it's not a problem at all..what I meant was this. They make this law, that most of the time They can't tell if you are wearning it or not. when I get pulled over (not usually more than 1 every year) I already have it off to get my wallet so they wouldn't be able to know one way or the other..you could lie to them and say yes I was, and never have put it on.

 

[Shayne]

They have camera all over now and even show your facial features as your driving down the hwy.  They just clocked a guy speeding at over 100 mph and smiling will giving the camera the bird.  they got him.

 

[Kevin]

In the same light do you fell that th government should not be requiring you to stop and stop signs, red lights, pull over for emergency vehicles, or tell you what the maximum speed you should drive? Laws are made to protect the public and seat belt laws fall into that category.  I knew a man that was seriously injured because the individual that hit him had been thrown out of the driving position when he it a slick spot and hit a curb resulting in his being unable to properly control that vehicle.  Sweat belt laws are not only to protect the individual but the public.  Laws are made to protect the public and obeying or ignoring the law is not something that should be a individuals choice.

I understand your point, just seems to be that the government isn't very consistant with their laws as far as the seat belt vs helmets/ same could be said about talking on the phone/eating/drinking/and playing with the radio...I don't know I guess urks me to be told what to do and when to do it, but most of them don't follow the rules either..you know what I'm saying..and yes I know 2 wrongs don't make a right my bad... but hey just think If we all were the same...would be a very boring place wouldn't it??? kevin

 

[Kevin]

They have camera all over now and even show your facial features as your driving down the hwy.  They just clocked a guy speeding at over 100 mph and smiling will giving the camera the bird.  they got him.

they can't figure out how to use the radar gun in my town yet... yes we are slow here..haha sad thing is I got behind a cop last week and he wasn't even wearing his seat belt... wanted to pull him over for a $25 ticket, but thought better of it..kevin

 

[Shayne]

The Repercussion could be unbearable. As well as costly.

 

[Houseofarticcats]

Yup you are so right about the seat belt law here in NH.. only people under 18 have to wear them... But most of us use them anyways..heheheh .. Oh and I says... Live Free OR Die...  hahahahahahahahah  To bad the OLD MAN didn't have his seat belt on the morning his face fell off...  It might have saved him..hahahahahahah (sorry it was there.. Just my bad humor)

 

[JRickey]

If you  believe the goverment shouldn't make you wear your seat belt then the goverment shouldn't be made to pay for your disability, convelecent care, your medicare, subsidise your childs education loans because you can't pay for it, give you a handicap permit and allow you to utilize all options of a disabled person and any other assistance you expect from making a stupid, arrogent, premeditated decision. Oh and I shouldn't be expected to scape you up from the ditch that your were thrown into as your exited your vehicle impacting everything on the way out.  As for those of you who only think you need to wear one if your in the front seat.....were do you think you will end up in a frontal impact?  After you hit the rest of the passengers in the vehicle and cause great bodily harm you will either  (A) end up through the windshield, (B) a bloody heap on the floor board, up under the dash,  take your pick.  Ok, I'm done and feel better.

 

[Shayne]

Richey  It sure makes sense to me.

 

[chaajoad]

The general sentiment here is no one likes being told what to do. The problem (IMO) is the vast majority people do such silly and dangerous things that their willful recklessness can cost all of us a whole.

I've ridden motorcycles since I was 12 years old and have never been on one without a helmet. When I was about 14, I attended a funeral for a classmate who dumped his Honda 305 after hitting a patch of dirt while going around a corner. He was going slow but hit his head on the curb and broke it open like a dropped vase. I recall how gray his face looked - the embalmer had to use a lot of putty to make him presentable. That's haunted me since that day.

I've dumped a bike twice and it's never involved reckless driving by me or anyone else. First time was when I het a set of railroad tracks during light rain with with a little 90cc dirt bike and learned a lesson on how oil comes to the surface during rain. It was a miracle I wasn't hurt because a handlebar stuck the bike on the tracks while I skidded out into a busy intersection. My helmet was pretty beat up. Second time was on my Honda Shadow 1100 and - like my schoolmate from all those years back - hit a patch of dirt in a curve. Again, I had a bit of road rash but was okay. The lesson learned there was how easy it is to do $3000 damage at about 15 mph. I was stunned to learn a new gas tank was over a grand.

I'm completely, 100% pro helmet. If you're over 18 and don't want to wear one, I'm okay with that
provided you will sign a waiver allowing a hospital to only give you food, water and pain medicine in the event you are injured in a wreck. I'm all for folks doing what they want as long as they pay for it. If you roll your MH and aren't belted in and snap your neck, I'll grieve for you - just don't ask me to pay your medical expenses. And we all will, either through increased premiums or subsidizing unpaid bills.

So I say this in complete sincerity -

I'm thinking that if anyone other than my immediate family rides in the rig this summer, they should sign a waiver stating I warned them of the dangers of moving around inside a vehicle speeding down the road and advised them of where seat belts are and how to use them. Seriously. I can just see it in court:

"Danny never warned me that if i was looking in the fridge for a pop and he braked suddenly that I might go through the windshield."

 

[Tom]

Danny,

I've never understood why folks ride motorcycles without helmets. I still have a scar from a tumble in the mid 60's - due to having to avoid a swerving car. Hit a light pole, the bike stopped and I was propelled like a canonball. They told me I wouldn't still be here if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

Also had some tumbles due to black ice, but the bike always came out of them much worse than me, thanks to a helmet and other protective clothing.

 

[PancakeBill]

I am a seatbelt user, helmet user, I even wear gloves when dumping my tanks.  Helmeted when riding my bicyclle too.  Lost a friend to non-use, a 3  mph fall.  Thing is, it just depends.  Kevin survived his non-seatbelted crashes, he was lucky, maybe not his time to  go. 

I do support the folks against the helmet laws, although I think insurance should limit liablity when a safety device is not used.  Still a choice, but one with responsiblity.

 

[Karl]

Last week at Road America, we had a 2-day motorcycle school which resulted in 3 ambulance trips to the hospital and 1 AirEvac. Granted, this was not a "Learn To Ride Your 50cc. putt-putt", but a racing school where everyone is required to wear leathers, helmets, neck protectors (makes them look like the Huntchback of Notre Dame), full calve boots, and knee pucks. It wasn't the novices or imtermediates who got injured; it was the expert riders. Just shows that experience doesn't necessarily give you added protection - quite the opposite, those less experienced tend to be more cautious. IMHO, if you want to be Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, buy the video and experience it vicariously.

The previous week we had a Porsche Club drivers school. Gentleman had a new 911 GT3 (around $100k) and crashed it into the concrete wall his second lap out. Neck and head injury -  thankfully non life-threatening. The irony? He had a Hans Device..... in his trailer! :

 

[thinkerbell]

I don't mean to be the rabble rouser here (I'm still new and my chair squeaks), but I'm going to take that chance and make some comments.

1. RVs aren't always equipped with seatbelts (especially the older models). As with older vehicles which also tend to not have seatbelts, don't laws state that where no seatbelts are available via manufacturer, you don't have to legally worry?

2. RV drivers tend to be more cautious of their surroundings than your average drivers. Maybe I'm wrong here, but aren't we more aware of our surroundings than a lot of people? I would think that accidents and fatalities tend to be far less of an issue when you're dealing with a +24' rig that makes speed limit and tends to stick to the right lane.

3. I grew up in the 70's laying in the back of a station wagon and coloring for most of the across-country trips we made. I also ate candy cigarettes and listened to KC and the Sunshine band. I didn't die, and grew up to be an adorable person (my husband's too scared of me to disagree)  . I think we live in a constant state of fear these days. If it's not terrorists and child predators, it's the fact that if my kid can't lay down in the cab and enjoy the freedom of not being strapped down in a Suburban. I'm sorry, folks, but it's not child endangerment if we're on a freeway in favorable weather conditions and sparse traffic and my kids aren't strapped in for a few minutes at a time.

Just my opinion, from your neighborhood friendly child of the 70's. Your mileage may vary.