The history of seatbelt legislation is a long and complex one, with laws requiring the fitting of seatbelts to cars in some cases being followed by laws mandating their use. In the United States, 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. This law required all vehicles (except buses) to be fitted with seat belts in all designated seating positions. However, the use of seat belts was voluntary until New York became the first state to require vehicle occupants to wear seat belts in 1984.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
First seat belt patent | Filed by Edward J. Claghorn on February 10, 1885 |
First seat belt law | Passed in the US on January 1, 1968 |
First state to require seat belts to be installed | Wisconsin, in 1961 |
First state to require seat belts to be used | New York, in 1984 |
What You'll Learn
The first seat belt law was passed in 1968
The history of seat belts, however, goes back much further. The first iteration of the seat belt was created by English engineer George Cayley in the 19th century. He designed straps to keep pilots safe inside their aircraft. On February 10, 1885, New York City resident Edward J. Claghorn was awarded the first patent for a vehicular seat belt. It was designed to keep tourists safe as they rode in taxis.
In 1959, Nils Bohlin, an engineer at Volvo, created the familiar three-point seat belt. Volvo gave the invention to its rivals for free, to encourage other manufacturers to install seat belts in their cars. The company reasoned that the lives saved were worth more than any amount it could have earned by selling the design.
In 1961, Wisconsin became the first state to require seat belts to be installed in the front seats of all new cars. However, there was no rule that passengers had to wear them. It wasn't until 1968 that seat belts became nationally mandated in the US.
Even after the 1968 law, seat belts remained unpopular. In 1982, when Michigan State Rep. David Hollister introduced a state seat belt law, he received hate mail comparing him to Hitler. It wasn't until the 1980s that public education campaigns began to change public behaviour. Photographs of beltless car crash victims made their way into local news broadcasts, and celebrities appeared in public service announcements. In 1984, New York became the first state to mandate that drivers use a seat belt. Over the next eleven years, 48 other states instituted seat belt use laws.
Today, seat belts are widely accepted as a life-saving invention. They are credited with saving thousands of lives per year and are considered one of the most cost-effective public health inventions ever.
Resisting Injustices: A Duty to Defy Unjust Laws
You may want to see also
Seat belt use was voluntary until 1984
The history of seat belts can be traced back to the 1800s, when English engineer Sir George Cayley invented the first seat belt for his glider aircraft. However, it wasn't until the mid-1950s that seat belts started to become standard in cars. Volvo was the first company to include seat belt systems in their vehicles in 1955, and they performed numerous crash tests to demonstrate the importance of seat belts. Despite these findings, many American automakers only offered seat belts as optional equipment, as only a few customers requested them.
It wasn't until the 1960s that seat belts gained wider acceptance. In 1961, Wisconsin became the first state to require seat belts to be installed in the front seats of all new cars. Then, in 1968, a federal law was passed mandating that all new cars be equipped with both lap and shoulder belts in the front seats. However, seat belt use was still voluntary, and compliance was low. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, seat belt use was only between 11% and 14%.
It took a combination of factors to increase seat belt usage. Public education campaigns, including graphic images of car crash victims, played a significant role in changing public behaviour. In addition, insurance companies, which had a vested interest in reducing the number of fatalities and injuries, lobbied for mandatory seat belt laws.
The turning point came in 1984 when New York passed the first law mandating seat belt use. This was followed by a rapid increase in seat belt usage nationwide. By 1987, 29 states had adopted mandatory seat belt laws, and seat belt usage had grown to around 70% in New York. Today, nationwide seat belt usage is approximately 92%, and thousands of lives are saved each year due to seat belts.
Presidential Powers: Laws Without Congress
You may want to see also
Seat belt laws vary by state
Seat belt laws vary across states in the US. The first seat belt law was a federal law, Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Safety Standard, which came into effect on 1 January 1968. This law mandated that all vehicles (except buses) be fitted with seat belts in all designated seating positions. However, the use of seat belts remained voluntary until New York passed a law requiring vehicle occupants to wear them as of 1 December 1984.
Seat belt laws in the US can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary enforcement laws. Primary enforcement laws allow law enforcement officers to stop and ticket a driver or passenger for not wearing a seat belt, without any other traffic offence taking place. As of May 2024, 35 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have primary seat belt laws for front-seat occupants.
On the other hand, secondary enforcement laws state that law enforcement officers may only issue a ticket for not wearing a seat belt if the driver has committed another primary violation, such as speeding or running a stop sign. 14 states have secondary laws for adult front-seat occupants.
In addition to these primary and secondary enforcement laws, seat belt laws can also vary by state in terms of the age of the rider and the seat they are sitting in. For example, the recommended age for a child to sit in the front passenger seat is 13, and specific laws for infants, toddlers, and children may differ from state to state.
While seat belt laws vary across states, it is important to note that wearing a seat belt is essential for safety. Studies have shown that lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45% in a car and by 60% in an SUV, van, or pickup. Seat belts also prevent ejection from the vehicle, which is associated with a high risk of injury and death.
Nursing Policy to Law: Understanding the Transition Process
You may want to see also
Seat belts have been credited with saving thousands of lives per year
The history of seat belts can be traced back to the 1800s, when English engineer George Cayley invented the first iteration of the seat belt to keep him from falling out of his glider. However, it wasn't until the mid-to-late 1950s that seat belts started to become more widely available in vehicles, with Volvo being the first company to include seat belt systems in their cars in 1955. Even then, seat belts were often seen as an optional extra rather than a vital safety feature, and it wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that they started to become more commonplace.
The first seat belt law was introduced in the US in 1968, requiring all vehicles (except buses) to be fitted with seat belts. However, the use of seat belts remained voluntary until 1984, when New York became the first state to mandate their use. Since then, most US states have introduced similar laws, although enforcement varies and New Hampshire remains the only state with no law requiring adults to wear seat belts.
The introduction of seat belt laws has been followed by a dramatic decline in road deaths. In the US, the car crash fatality rate (per capita) is almost half of what it was in 1976, and in the UK, the number of road deaths fell to less than a third of the 1970 level by 2009. Studies have shown that seat belt laws are effective in reducing car crash deaths, with one study finding that mandatory seat belt laws reduced traffic fatalities in youths by 8% and serious traffic-related injuries by 9%.
Senate Bill 207: Indiana's New Law?
You may want to see also
Resistance to seat belts largely centred on three arguments
Resistance to seat belts has centred on three main arguments. Firstly, that seat-belt laws infringe a person's constitutional rights. In the US, opponents argue that such laws violate the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments, which guarantee individual liberty and freedom.
Secondly, that official estimates of the number of lives saved by seat belts are overstated or fail to take into account additional risks for other road users. For example, some studies have shown that while seat belts save lives in certain types of accidents, they can also cause more serious injuries or even death in other types of accidents.
Thirdly, the risk compensation theory. This theory suggests that if the risk of death or injury from a car crash is reduced by wearing a seat belt, drivers will respond by reducing the precautions they take against crashes. In other words, the feeling of greater security provided by seat belts may tempt drivers to be more reckless. Some studies have found evidence to support this theory, while others have not.
The Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes Law
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Seat belts were federally mandated in all vehicles (except buses) in the US as of 1 January 1968. However, the use of seat belts was voluntary until New York became the first state to require vehicle occupants to wear seat belts in 1984.
New York was the first state to require the use of seat belts in 1984.
Wisconsin was the first state to introduce legislation requiring seat belts to be fitted to cars in 1961.
New Hampshire is the only US state with no law requiring adults to wear seat belts.