What year did they start putting seat belts in cars?
Seat belts have been a standard safety feature in cars since the 1960s, but the exact year they became mandatory varied by country and region. In the United States, federal regulations required all new passenger vehicles to be equipped with seat belts starting in 1968.
The History of Seat Belt Mandates
The first seat belts were introduced in cars in the 1950s, but they were not widely adopted or required by law at the time. It wasn't until the 1960s that seat belt usage began to gain traction as a critical safety feature. In 1966, the U.S. National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was passed, which gave the federal government the authority to set safety standards for new vehicles, including the requirement for seat belts. This led to seat belts becoming standard equipment in all new passenger vehicles sold in the United States starting in 1968.
Other countries followed suit in the years that followed. In the United Kingdom, seat belt laws were introduced in 1983, requiring all front-seat passengers to wear seat belts. Similar laws were enacted in other European countries and around the world in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Impact of Seat Belt Laws
- Seat belt laws have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of injury and death in car crashes. Studies have found that seat belts can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45% for front-seat passengers and up to 60% for rear-seat passengers.
- The introduction of seat belt laws has also led to increased seat belt usage rates, with some countries seeing usage rates rise from around 20% to over 90% after laws were enacted.
- Seat belt laws have been credited with saving thousands of lives each year and reducing the burden on healthcare systems by preventing serious injuries.
While seat belts are now a standard safety feature in all new vehicles, their widespread adoption and mandatory use was a gradual process that took place over several decades. The passage of federal safety regulations in the 1960s and 1970s played a crucial role in making seat belts a ubiquitous and life-saving feature in modern automobiles.
What state has no seat belt law?
Some states only require drivers and front-seat passengers to wear seat belts, while others mandate passengers buckle up. New Hampshire is the only state without adult seat belt laws. As for the other 49, failure to comply with the laws may affect the outcome of insurance claims and legal cases.
What was the first car with standard seat belts?
Volvo
The design was first launched in the Nordic market in 1959 on the Volvo Amazon and Volvo PV544, pictured to the right. On August 13, 1959, Volvo Cars made automotive history when they sold the first car equipped with today's three-point-belt system to a customer in Sweden.
When did seatbelts become mandatory in the USA?
1968
Seat belts are the oldest form of occupant protection, with Volvo patenting the first rudimentary seat belt in 1889. However, it wasn't until 1968 that the federal government required seat belts to be installed in all new passenger cars.
What year did you have to start wearing a seatbelt?
1968
The first seat belt law was a federal law, Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Safety Standard, which took effect on January 1, 1968, that required all vehicles (except buses) to be fitted with seat belts in all designated seating positions.
Does a 1965 car need seat belts?
Highway Safety Act of 1966
In California, vehicles were required to have seat belts for all seating positions as early as January 1, 1964. Under the California Vehicle Code, vehicles older than this date are typically not required to have safety equipment installed in the vehicle.
Did cars in 1978 have seat belts?
Highway Safety Act of 1966
In California, vehicles were required to have seat belts for all seating positions as early as January 1, 1964. Under the California Vehicle Code, vehicles older than this date are typically not required to have safety equipment installed in the vehicle.
When did they start putting seatbelts in the backseat of cars?
In 1955 (as a 1956 package), Ford offered lap-only seat belts in the rear seats as an option within the Lifeguard safety package. In 1967, Volvo started to install lap belts in the rear seats. In 1972, Volvo upgraded the rear seat belts to a three-point belt.
What car had the first seat belt?
Volvo Cars
Even though Volvo Cars invented the seat belt in 1959, it wasn't until 1968 that seat belts were mandatory in all automobiles sold in the United States. The Volvo seat belt patent is available for anybody to use because of the number of lives it can save.
Did cars in the 80s have seat belts?
The 1970s and 80s were the most tumultuous stretch of time in seat belt history. It all began in 1973, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration required all new cars to install a seat belt interlock mechanism. The inexpensive device prevented a car from starting until the driver's seat belt was buckled.
