Conforming to Federal Vehicle Safety Standards

[FastbackJon]

What is the name of your state? Washington

Part of Washington's seatbelt law (RCW 46.61.688) states that:

(2) This section only applies to motor vehicles that meet the manual seat belt safety standards as set forth in federal motor vehicle safety standard 208 and to neighborhood electric vehicles. This section does not apply to a vehicle occupant for whom no safety belt is available when all designated seating positions as required by federal motor vehicle safety standard 208 are occupied.

So if I can prove my vehicle does not meet the manual seat belt safety standards as set forth in federal motor vehicle safety standard 208, then that means the whole seat belt requirement does not apply to me?

Here is a list of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Click on 208 (Occupant Crash Protection).

http://www.washingtonwatchdog.org/documents/cfr/title49/part571.html#571.208

 

[Some Random Guy]

So you're trying to get out of a no-seatbelt ticket by claiming that your vehicle is not covered by the law. What is your vehicle and why should it be exempt?

 

[CdwJava]

He was claiming a medical exemption pursuant to an out-of-state doctor's note. Perhaps he pulled some shenanigans in the courtroom that ticked off the judge.

- Carl

 

[racer72]

It is illegal to operate a vehicle that does not meet the federal seatbelt standards. The only exemptions in Washington apply to farm and delivery vehicles. If I was the judge, I would let the seatbelt ticket stand and have the officer cite you for driving a vehicle in violation of state and federal seat belt laws.

 

[FastbackJon]

Well for example, the federal safety standards 208 does not make any mention of any vehicle built before January 1, 1972.

So in that respect, if I drove a vehicle built before that date, since it does not meet the federal safety standards, I am thus legally exempt from RCW 46.61.688, and from being fined while wearing my seatbelt while operating the vehicle.

Where is the law that says it is illegal to drive a vehicle that does not conform to the standards? I have another car that was built after 1972, and it has a "Fasten Seat Belt" warning light as prescribed by the federal saftey standards 208, but it does not work. So that vehicle does not conform to the Federal Safety Standards 208 either, and would thus be exempt from seat belt laws.

Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[Some Random Guy]

Well obviously you have no intention of accepting responsibility for this, so go ahead and tell it to the judge. Post back to let us know how it went and if the judge bought the 'old car' defense.

 

[FastbackJon]

I'm just talking future occurances. The law in some aspects forces me to do something, but only under certain conditions. I'm not trying to pull any stunts or give any excuses, I'm just trying to better educate myself as to what those perfectly legal conditions are.

Saying I'm exempt from the seatbelt law because my car does not conform to the Federal Vehicle Safety Standards 208 would only apply to passenger cars built after January 1, 1968, and before January 1, 1972.

Cars built before January 1, 1968 are not required to have shoulder belts, and there is no way a cop can tell if you are wearing your lap belt or not when driving.

And cars built after January 1, 1972 are included in the Federal Safety Standards 208.

Trucks built in that period do not apply as passenger cars do, because unlike cars, trucks didn't have the shoulder belts then. At least my '73 Dodge Truck doesn't.

So in any case, I don't own a passenger car built between January 1, 1968, and January 1, 1972 and I do wear my seatbelt when driving.

I would just like to know, in case I, or anyone else in the great State of Washington, did happen to be driving a passenger car built within those years, and did not happen to be wearing their seatbelt, and they got ticketed for it.

Again I state that....

1) Washington State law says the seat belt rule only applys to vehicles which meet certain Federal Safety Standards.

2) Those Federal Safety Standards only make reference to vehicles built after January 1, 1972.

So if I am understanding this correctly (am I?) then the Washington State seat belt law does not apply to vehicles built before January 1, 1972.