In a message dated 5/11/03 11:13:58 Pacific Daylight Time,
streepey@sunset.net writes:
<< Contrary to a couple of statements on this list, seat belts are required
on ALL vehicles in Calif. including T Series MG's. The reason I know
this is that I was a naughty boy last spring and I had to go to traffic
school to erase the ticket from my DMV record
Lee >>
The California DMV law reads:
Mandatory Seat Belt Law
27315. (a) The Legislature finds that a mandatory seatbelt law will
contribute to reducing highway deaths and injuries by encouraging greater
usage of existing manual seatbelts, that automatic crash protection systems
which require no action by vehicle occupants offer the best hope of reducing
deaths and injuries, and that encouraging the use of manual safety belts is
only a partial remedy for addressing this major cause of death and injury.
The Legislature declares that the enactment of this section is intended to be
compatible with support for federal safety standards requiring automatic
crash protection systems and should not be used in any manner to rescind
federal requirements for installation of automatic restraints in new cars.
(b) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Motor Vehicle Safety
Act.
(c) (1) As used in this section, "motor vehicle" means any passenger vehicle
or any motortruck or truck tractor, but does not include a motorcycle.
(2) Until May 1, 2000, for purposes of this section, a "motor vehicle" also
means any farm labor vehicle that was first issued an inspection certificate
under Section 31401 on or after October 1, 1999.
(3) On and after May 1, 2000, for purposes of this section, a "motor vehicle"
also means any farm labor vehicle, regardless of date of certification under
Section 31401.
(d) (1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle on a highway unless that
person and all passengers 16 years of age or over are properly restrained by
a safety belt. ....
several exemptions......then
This subdivision does not, however, require installation or maintenance of
safety belts where not required by the laws of the United States applicable
to the vehicle at the time of its initial sale.
(k) If the United States Secretary of Transportation fils to adopt safety
standards for manual safety belt systems by September 1, 1989, no motor
vehicle manufactured after that date for sale or sold in this state shall be
registered unless it contains a manual safety belt system which meets the
performance standards applicable to automatic crash protection devices
adopted by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 208 (49 C.F.R. 571.208) as in effect on January 1, 1985.
The way I read this is that if you have seat belts in your vehicle, you must
wear them......if your vehicle was manufactured before 1989 and did not have
seat belts, you are not obligated to install them.....however
as I said before, its better to have them.
Instructors are not infallible! I am taking a Coast Guard Safe Boating
class, the book sez to take off the battery positive first. When the
instructor repeated this, I challenged him. He admitted that this was wrong
but he had to go along because its on the test! Bah!!
Terry in Oakland
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