Seat belts for rear passengers...

[Wabbit]

Turns out, its the law that even rear passengers need to wear a seat belt. Not all states have this rear requirement, but there are a lot of states that do. Even in RV's! I always imagined when I would see a RV heading down the interstate that there were people walking around in the back. Taking a nap on the bed, or what not. Now, don't tell anyone, but if the crazylady is driving and I'm tired, I'm taking a nap!

What do you all do for rear passengers and seat belts? I really wasn't planning on any seat belts other than drivers.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I'm sure there's a good many people enjoying the rear of the RV as it travels down the road.

I grew up riding in the back of my dad's cargo van sitting on 5 gallon buckets of carpet adhesive. He'd even have an adult beverage on the ride over to the relatives house. We got pulled over once....(cause me and my brothers were hanging Gi Joes out he rear window on a fishing line) Drink in the cupholder, 3 kids not buckled in, no seats for us to sit in and they told him to not let us hang stuff out the window and have a good day!! That was in the 80's. How times have quickly changed.

 

[SternWake]

I keep a lap belt on my third chair in back, but can't remember the last time I unwrapped it. Rarely ever have a passenger.

i have to admit that I have used the seatbelt law to decline driving a group of people to a bar. Sure I can fit 12 people inside, and have. Does not mean I want to.

So 2 passengers is all I will carry and I use the nanny state law to my advantage. There are some times i drove with 3 or 4 passengers and I made sure if I see the law, that they are not obviously not in a legal seat and strapped in, and I drive in a manner that leaves me less likely to be pulled over.

 

[TrainChaser]

It funny, though, with all the rigid laws for personal vehicles, that in most states, little kids in school buses are NOT belted in.

Wabbit, if your bed runs front to back (not crosswise), be sure to lie down with your feet facing the dash. Better to sprain your ankle in a panic stop than break your neck.

 

[Wabbit]

The bed will lay length wise. The seats were bench seats along the sides. So there looked like the was a metal ledge thing I can attach too. I was planning head towards front, but the issue of stopping hard and someone getting a neck injury is something I had not thought of. Thank you for the heads up. Easy enough for me to do, just put the pillows towards the rear. Again, thnx.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I have a generic seatbelt from Amazon. If we have a third passenger (probably one of my adult kids), we run it through the base of the front passenger seat and secure it with carabiners. So the passenger sits on the floor (on top of a pillow, if I am kind enough to provide such comfort), facing backwards. It'll keep him from rolling side to side with wild turns and hopefully keep him from becoming airborne if we were to roll-although in that case, I think we'd have more important things to worry about.

No scenic view, but fairly secure. Is it legal? Probably not, but as my favorite saying goes, "If Mumsy's not happy, then nobody is happy". And I'm satisfied to have provided a modicum of safety.

 

[TrainChaser]

If the driver isn't driving like an idiot (tailgating, weaving, running over the rumble strips, etc), and the passenger(s) don't have their heads hanging out the windows or roof vent, there shouldn't be any reason to attract the law. Just give other vehicles lots of room so you have some time and space to make decisions of conditions get squirrelly.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

It funny, though, with all the rigid laws for personal vehicles, that in most states, little kids in school buses are NOT belted in.

School Buses are the safest form of ground travel.  There are about 6 deaths per year on school buses (24 million kids riding them daily)  compared to the 800 kids a year that die going to school walking, biking and being driven in the family car.

 

[TrainChaser]

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811890
"School Buses are the safest form of ground travel.  There are about 6 deaths per year on school buses (24 million kids riding them daily)"

Here's what the USDT (2012) says about school bus crashes (just in the 9-yr period from 2003 to 2012):

"Since 2003 there were 348,253 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,222 (0.35%) were classified as school-transportation-related.  Since 2003, there have been 1,353 people killed in school-transportation-related crashes—an average of 135 fatalities per year. Occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 8 percent of the fatalities, and nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 21 percent of the fatalities. Most (71%) of the people who lost their lives in these crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved.  Since 2003, 119 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in schooltransportation-related crashes. Sixty-five percent were struck by school buses, 5 percent by vehicles functioning as school buses, and 30 percent by other vehicles (passenger cars, light trucks and vans, large trucks, and motorcycles, etc.) involved in the crashes. There were 42 (35%) school-age pedestrians 5 to 7 years old killed in school transportation-related crashes and a similar number and percentage who were 8 to 13 years old..."  

If you'll look at the chart, the count is 55.  Although charts don't count much when it's your own kid.

Now, let's talk about injuries... How does 17,000 children sent to the ER ANNUALLY grab you? http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15581273/...th/t/school-bus-injuries-much-higher-thought/

School buses aren't surrounded by a magic shield --  they get smashed by semis, too.

 

[bullfrog]

Okay, this is a rant be warned moderator and feel free to do what ever. First, school buses are designed for safety by having the passenger compartment above most common impact areas. Cars tend to go under the bus basically. School bus seats are designed to absorb chest impacts when buses are hit head on for children taller than 50" and provide head support when hit from the rear if the child is seated. Seat belts in a school bus seat cause the child to pivot forward causing head injuries in a head on with much more serious injuries. When seat belts were first put in school buses in New York so children under 50" tall could be put in proper safety seats the first injury was caused by a child being strangled by another child with the seat belt. Now for the rant part. The laws governing transportation of anything other than school children and migrant workers are much stricter and better enforced. It is legal for a school bus driver to drive unlimited hours with no required rest or breaks. You can by federal law put metal folding chairs in the aisle and emergency exit area of a school bus to transport migrant workers. The reason for this was it would cost too much money for school districts and farmers to meet the requirements of the trucking industry. Thank goodness the school buses were designed as well as they were.

 

[Almost There]

Okay, back on track of helping Cryi'nBryan with solutions to his problem of needing seat belts for rear passengers. He's not driving a school bus!

 

[Wabbit]

...moar...ROAR...!!!...

Lol. I only say feel free with the rant because original topic has been covered. If you are staying in 1 state and not traveling in between states, it might be legal for ADULTS to not be belted in, but it is my understanding that pretty much all states have minor rear seat belt laws. Have as many rear seat seat belts as you plan on normal passengers. I plan on one passenger, but gonna get 2 seat belts set up in back. Its a hassle, but if it appeases Leo then its worth doing for me.


EDIT: posted at same time as mod, don't wanna step on toes. My inquiry is settled and I tried to post a "my findings" for others. Anyways..thnx!