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I guess the answer to the question will vary, depending on where you are, but if a Pinz doesn't come equipped with belts in the rear, can you still carry passengers legally on the road?

If your Pinz doesn't come with belts in the rear, you can always add them. Many prior posts on rear seat belts and our sponsor, Expedition Imports sells them.

totaljoint wrote:If your Pinz doesn't come with belts in the rear, you can always add them. Many prior posts on rear seat belts and our sponsor, Expedition Imports sells them.

Ya, I read most of them and it is definitely something I will get too...once I own one . Just curious if it is against the law to carry passengers without belts. I know on classic cars, if the belts weren't there by design, you don't have to add them.

berger wrote:Ya, I read most of them and it is definitely something I will get too...once I own one . Just curious if it is against the law to carry passengers without belts. I know on classic cars, if the belts weren't there by design, you don't have to add them.

One of the local guys recently was stopped for not wearing seat belts (not required) in his 1962 corvette, the fact was that he was wearing the lap belt (optional equipment) the car was originally equipped with, he showed it to the ignorant officer who replied that the law required a shoulder harness and wrote the ticket for no seat belts. The corvette owner took the ticket to court and had it thrown out, only lost about a half day of his time fighting an unjust ticket. So I guess where I’m heading with this is if you’re going to run without seatbelts make sure you carry a copy of the regulations exempting you from being required to have them and hope the officer is intelligent enough to have learned to read. Remember ignorance of the law is no excuse unless you are paid to enforce said laws.

FMVSS don't apply, as your Pinz was old enough when imported to be considered FMVSS-exempt. That's how it got into the USA in the first place. From there, your own state's laws will apply. For instance, in Wisconsin, it's legal to license a vehicle w/o seat belts, but it is illegal to actually operate with a passenger who doesn't have a seat belt. But, there's no statute which requires said seat belt to be bolted onto the vehicle. So, take a seat belt and strap it around your waist, and you're good to go.

It all depends on where you are, and what those local laws allow.

My question is...why would you operste a vehicle, any vehicle, without seat belts? It is a safety thing. Put them in and save some grief. The LAW notwithstanding, it is not very smart to operate this type of vehicle without them.

krick3tt wrote:My question is...why would you operate a vehicle, any vehicle, without seat belts? It is a safety thing. Put them in and save some grief. The LAW notwithstanding, it is not very smart to operate this type of vehicle without them.

I wouldn't plan on operating a car/truck if my passengers weren't safe, but you have to wonder why the manufacturer wouldn't do it on some models. Where I live, if you are over 16 and you choose not to wear a belt in a vehicle, even in someone else's, youare liable. Now, you mentioned any vehicle, well I own a Ural with a sidecar. That is a vehicle and it has no belt in the hack. I have no issues with people riding in it, specifically my wife, without a belt.

I was waiting for the voice of reason (AKA Morris) to chime in. I can't imagine any of us hauling folks without seatbelts! Plenty of prior posts about seatbest options if you need them once you get your Pinz Derek.

David

texas pinzgauer wrote:I was waiting for the voice of reason (AKA Morris) to chime in. I can't imagine any of us hauling folks without seatbelts! Plenty of prior posts about seatbest options if you need them once you get your Pinz Derek.

David

Believe me, when I buy one, it will be one of the first mods. Just curious on the laws, that is all.

''My question is...why would you operate a vehicle, any vehicle, without seat belts?'' That is my quote.

OK...motorcycles not included in this. We have to be reasonable, after all. ...oh yeah, leave out ATV's and snowmobiles too.
I really did not think anyone would go to that extreme. But seriously. I am very serious about safety...it is the something
that pinz owners should show to the world... that we are not crackpots with our off road vehicles. It's right up there with the
joke about the guys in the pickup and one says...'Here, hold my beer, I'm gonna try sumpin'.

I am not trying to preach to anyone, it's just my opinion.

Happy trails.

In Ca, you can have passengers in rear, but children must wear restraints.
However, you will have to research your local and regional laws.

Jim LaGuardia wrote:In Ca, you can have passengers in rear, but children must wear restraints.
However, you will have to research your local and regional laws.

Like this?

I prefer the type that go around the head, with a ball in the mouth...

Make sure you don't make the mistake of registering your pinz as a truck in Ca. It's Illegal to carry passengers in the rear, "truck" bed. Thanks to this forum, I knew to avid that mistake. The seat belt installation is really an easy project, take it from a mechanically challenged pinz owner. If I did it, ANYOne can..

Derek,

As stated above, Police Constables in Ontario are all 'independent agents of the Crown' and can interpret the Highway Traffic Act on their own. The general question they have to ask themselves is 'does it seem reasonable'? Unfortunately, some are more zealous than others (Traffic Guys) and have a more liberal interpretation. Riding in the rear of pick-ups is one of those 'grey areas' in the H.T.A. You need seat belts to ride in a vehicle in Ontario...but they aren't there...but it is designed to carry cargo not passengers...

As Morris said, much easier to just go down to your local Princess Auto, buy two 7' lengths of e-track and bolt them into the rear. I went with this option and had some e-track fittings sewn onto olive drab belts that have airline-style clasps attached. That was long before Expedition Imports started carrying them for sale. They work great, look great, and I had peace of mind with the kids in the back nicely strapped in. The great thing about the e-track is that they remove quickly, and I also have attachments for tying cargo down if I need it.

Very inexpensive solution and easy to do.