VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Child safety seats

Are child safety seats required in antique cars, specifically those of the 20's?

I ask because this morning I took a young friend and her 5 yo son for a brief ride in my roadster. I told her I didn't think they were required because there are no seat belts and no place to put them if I wanted to install them.

Thanks in advance.

As I understand the law(s) around here (Portland, OR), whatever 'safety features' were available in the y.o.m. must be in the car and being used.

Altho many VCCA folks MODIFY their old Chevy's by adding updated safety features like seat belts, it's not required by law, as I understand it.

To get the final word, it's probably best to check with local authorities about things like this....

Bill.

That was my thought as well. YOM safety rules apply.

The authorities here aren't necessarily very knowledgeable however. For awhile you couldn't get antique tags for your old car. Something about personalized plates not being issued until a lawsuit about abortion or some such **** was settled.

So they gave me a regular plate for my 26 and said I could drive on it forever without having to run the car through an inspection station. Now I'm told different. Now they tell me the plate is only good for 2 years and I have to get the car inspected and get a notorized statement saying the car meets the required safety laws. I called another DMV office and they told me the car would have to be restored completely and that I would have to bring pictures in to the DMV, yada, yada, yada.

I don't care one way or the other now. I just bought a house in the neighboring state, Mississippi. I'll wait until I get there and find out what their laws are.

In the state of New Hampshire we have a seatbelt law for those under 18 years of age. This law exempts vehicles manufactured before 1968 or "any motor vehicle over 25 years old which is maintained for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades and other functions of public interest."

Dan.

Here in my part of Aus vehicles built prior to 1965 are not required to have seatbelts at all, 1965 to 1968 for all front seat positions and after 1968 for all seat positions. But if fitted as aftermarket must comply with regulations applicable at time of fitting. This applies to daily driver or restricted show car.
Tony

I have asked the same question a number of times. Most authorities do not know the actual law for "historical vehicles" in Ohio. I did add seat belts to the back seat of my '23 and I do use a car seat / booster seats for my kids.

My guess is that they would get you on a child endangerment charge if there was an accident, even though the law says here says that I am exempt.

Here is a sheet that I put together for the State of Ohio:


Ohio Revised Code … Vehicle registration and Historical Vehicle code.
This information was pulled from the Ohio Revised code to help vintage car owners understand Ohio’s law.
For more information, search the Ohio revised code at: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4513


4513.38 Collector's or historical motor vehicle exempted from equipment requirements.
No person shall be prohibited from owning or operating a licensed collector’s vehicle or historical motor vehicle that is equipped with a feature of design, type of material, or article of equipment that was not in violation of any motor vehicle equipment law of this state or of its political subdivisions in effect during the calendar year the vehicle was manufactured, and no licensed collector’s vehicle or historical motor vehicle shall be prohibited from displaying or using any such feature of design, type of material, or article of equipment.
No person shall be prohibited from owning or operating a licensed collector’s vehicle or historical motor vehicle for failing to comply with an equipment provision contained in Chapter 4513. of the Revised Code or in any state rule that was enacted or adopted in a year subsequent to that in which the vehicle was manufactured, and no licensed collector’s vehicle or historical motor vehicle shall be required to comply with an equipment provision enacted into Chapter 4513. of the Revised Code or adopted by state rule subsequent to the calendar year in which it was manufactured. No political subdivision shall require an owner of a licensed collector’s vehicle or historical motor vehicle to comply with equipment provisions contained in laws or rules that were enacted or adopted subsequent to the calendar year in which the vehicle was manufactured, and no political subdivision shall prohibit the operation of a licensed collector’s vehicle or historical motor vehicle for failure to comply with any such equipment laws or rules.

4513.181 Historical motor vehicles.
(A) As used in this section, “historical motor vehicle” means any motor vehicle that is more than twenty-five years old and that is owned solely as a collector’s item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and similar uses, but in no event is used for general transportation.
(D) …. Notwithstanding section 4503.21 of the Revised Code, only one model year license plate is required to be displayed on the rear of the historical motor vehicle at all times. The registration certificate and the historical vehicle license plates issued by the registrar shall be kept in the vehicle at all times the vehicle is operated on the public roads and highways in this state.


4513.071 Stop light. (Chevrolet started stop lights in the 1925 model year)
(A) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with two or more stop lights, except that passenger cars manufactured or assembled prior to January 1, 1967, motorcycles, and motor-driven cycles shall be equipped with at least one stop light. Historical motor vehicles as defined in section 4503.181 of the Revised Code, not originally manufactured with stop lights, are not subject to this section.


4513.26 Safety glass required for new vehicles.
(A) No person shall sell any new motor vehicle nor shall any new motor vehicle be registered, and no person shall operate any motor vehicle, which is registered in this state and which has been manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1936, unless the motor vehicle is equipped with safety glass wherever glass is used in the windshields, doors, partitions, rear windows, and windows on each side immediately adjacent to the rear window.


4513.261 Vehicles to be equipped with electrical or mechanical directional signals. (Optional for 1939 Chevrolet)
(A)(1) No person shall operate any motor vehicle manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1954, unless the vehicle is equipped with electrical or mechanical directional signals.


4513.262 Seat safety belt or anchorage units required.
(A) As used in this section and in section 4513.263 of the Revised Code, the component parts of a “seat safety belt” include a belt, anchor attachment assembly, and a buckle or closing device.
(B) No person shall sell, lease, rent, or operate any passenger car, as defined in division (E) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code, that is registered or to be registered in this state and that is manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1962, unless the passenger car is equipped with sufficient anchorage units at the attachment points for attaching at least two sets of seat safety belts to its front seat.
(C) No person shall sell, lease, or rent any passenger car, as defined in division (E) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code, that is registered or to be registered in this state and that is manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1966, unless the passenger car has installed in its front seat at least two seat safety belt assemblies.

Very comprehensive info posted by Chris on this matter.

TWO thoughts come to mind.

1. No doubt Chris' writing is exactly correct for his state, Ohio. Other states may be just the same. But other states may NOT be the same. That would make it necessary to check with 'local' authorities. (And then HOPE to heck they know what they talking about!)

2. On some level, "common sense" has to come into play in this whole matter. Depending on the model year any one of us may be talking about, some of the cars go pretty slow.' But other cars may be on the 'inter-state' going 'faster.' Here's where the 'common sense' idea should come into play. Just how much of a 'risk' is involved due to speed of vehicle, age of passengers, type of road being driven on etc etc etc.

Just my two cents worth of sort of 'thinking out loud.'

Bill.

I put seat belts in the old cars I have restored for my grandkids safety however I put them in such a way that they can be unclipped and removed for shows.

I think I remember reading somewhere here that the VCCA allows seat belts in older cars without it costing you show points...

Safety trumps points, IMHO only.

I totally agree, Bill, that common sense should rule. I remain aware that no matter how good a driver I may think I am, and perhaps even be, I am also aware that stuff happens. That's why we have the word "accident". Common sense would dictate that I equip my car so that children would be safe in it. Having young children in my care will be an extremely rare event so I do not see me adding any such equipment. Should that change you can count on me adding the necessary equipment.

I seriously doubt my car will ever see an event. Certainly, it will never be judged. At best I may take it on a tour or a cruise with other old cars but that would be it.

Hopefully NO one took my 'common sense' idea as preaching.

Just to prove I'm a real dinosaur, I'll admit I really don't like seat belts. Even in the modern cars. To prove that, I could confess that I've gotten 3 tickets over the years for not wearing/using the seat belt in the/a modern car.

As for the old cars, I've never added seat belts to any of them. If the car had seat belts when I bought it, fine. I don't/didn't use 'em; but I certainly didn't remove them. If the car didn't have seat belts when I bought it, it didn't when I sold it.

The 54 hardtop I've had for 30 years is a perfect example. Didn't have belts in January of 1977 when I bought it. Still doesn't.... Might not be 'smart.' Just the way I am about seat belts.

Bill.

I certainly didn't take your post as preaching. Not at all.

I also don't like seat belts and have gotten 2 tickets over the years. I'll probably have a few more before it's finally over. Again, like you, it may not be smart, it's just the way I am.

I can assure you gentlemen that you are not wise in the lack of seatbelt use. The data has long since proved that seat belts save lives. Hopefully you will never need them or if you happen to get in a serious accident it is one of the times you have your belt buckled.

Put a 12inch spike in the center of every steering wheel & you wouldn't need air bags, seat belts or child seats just watch the death toll drop!

KS

What you would have is people driving from the center of the seat.

:( :o :confused: :confused: :eek:

You should have two thoughts in mind:

The rules put up by the authorities, and which you must/should follow for your own safety and to keep the insurance "legal"

and

the extra safety you clearly add to driving the old ones if you install and use safety belts in the car yourself.

It is only man's madness not to use belts every time when driving any car, and you know it by heart, all of you.

To save every life in traffic: USE SAFETY BELTS EVERY TIME!

I know all of us here are great drivers and if everyone drove the way we drive there would not be any need for seat belts, safety glass, air bags, or even bumpers, etc.

However not everyone on the road has our experience or ability behind the wheel. There are a lot of inexperienced young drivers out there drinking a coke and eating a burger and talking on their cell phone while driving to the mall. I have also seen people driving next to me reading a newspaper, others drinking a beer or fighting with their kids in the back seat.

We have no control over the other drivers out there some aren’t even legal age drivers, some are DUI drivers, etc. If you do a shift with your local police you will be amazed at what goes on out there.

Also some of us might have some sort of health problem while driving that would make seat belts helpful, or a blow out or a mechanical failure (I had a right rear wheel come off one time while driving). I also know of people passing out while driving or have a heart attack and crash into another car when driving.

Also if you are in a wreak that is not your fault and you are injured your settlement is reduced by 50% if you were not wearing your seat belt at the time of the wreak, so wear one for the money if you need a different reason to wear one.

Seatbelts; your life; your choice, no skin off of my nose but remember Darwin’s Law…

For the sake of the people left behind who care about you, please wear a seat belt.