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Re: [Mgs] Seat Belts

To: frankk12@verizon.net, "MG List" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Mgs] Seat Belts
From: Barney Gaylord <barneymg@mgaguru.com>
Date: Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:26:07 -0500
Installation of seat belts is originally regulated by federal law, 
and pre-dates federal emissions regulations.  For 1960 model year 
cars were required to have seat belt anchor ponts for the front 
seats.  For 1963 they were required to have front lap belts and 
anchor points for rear seats.  In 1966 they were required to have 
rear lap belts.  In 1968 (or maybe 1969) they were required to have 
shoulder harness for the two outboard front seats, but it was common 
for the shoulder strap to attach separately (and maybe not be used). 
A few years later the law was ammended to require the shoulder strap 
to be permanently attached to the lap belt.

In 1974 for one year only the cars had a pressure sensor in the front 
seats and a seat belt latch sensor and and a seat-belt to ignition 
interlock.  You had to perforn the proper sequence to start the car, 
sit down, buckle up, and then start the engine.  This raised such a 
public outrage that it was changed the following year to require only 
visual and audible warnings (light and buzzer).

Vintage cars should be grandfathered in the law to specificatoins as 
of date of manufacture.  That means MGA would have seat belt anchor 
points in late 1959, but no MGA was ever required to actually have 
seat belts.  It is my understanding that the factory never insalled 
seat belts in any MGA, but dealers would do it it you wanted 
them.  So if your MGA has no seat belts you are exempt.  I have never 
heard of any state law in North America requiring retroactive 
modification contrary to the federal specifications.

However, if you do install seat belts in your MGA, you will be 
required to wear them in many states (including Illinois).  Seat 
belts actually installed but not used is a violation.

Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://MGAguru.com


At 09:52 AM 7/2/2011 -0400, frankk12@verizon.net wrote:
>Rhode Island, where I live just enacted a mandatory seat belt law. 
>My problem is that my MGA and 64 B don't have seat belts. What does 
>the group recommend for installing belts? I had preferred to keep 
>the cars original. Older cars were grandfathered when it came to 
>inspections and belts were not required if they weren't originally 
>installed. I assume this isn't the case with the new mandatory law. 
>Is there a set of belts that doesn't seriously compromise the 
>originality of the cars?
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