I read in some forums, where people are asking about rigs with X amount of seatbelts.I guess all states now require pilots and co-pilots to use seatbelts. What about the other passengers? I see many rigs with seatbelts UNDER the sofas, and I know it would be SAFER in passengers are buckled in, but is it required for passenger to remain in their seatbelts while traveling. Just wondering. :)

Your question is valid, but there will difficulties answering it effectively.US regulations require seat belts for all passengers in a passenger car and the federal regulation pretty much ends there. I believe all states now require that all passengers in passenger vehicles be belted when the vehicle is in motion, but many have a "toothless" law. As many states regard an RV as other than a passenger vehicle, that leaves another opening. Could you be cited for not having a seat belt on in some states? Sure you could. But set the drill that if you are being stopped, before you get stopped everybody is back in seats and belted.Our rule is simple: If you don't have real reason to be out of your seat, you will be in it and belted. If moving is required, it will be minimized. Traffic is a given, but remember the recent video of that coach blowing a front tire. Matt

Your coach from behind the driver's seat is a house car. Driver and front passenger must be belted. All others are optional, much like school and OTR busses.That said, my rule is much like the pilot's. I allow the kids and others to move freely about the cabin, watch TV, play games, use the bathroom, make sandwiches, etc. If I expect turbulence or other questionable activity, such as heavy traffic, winding roads etc., they're seated and belted. My coach, my rules....Dennis

If you have them use them. Buses (including school) and trains don't have them. No law yet to require them.I stand corrected, Looks like there are six states that do, just wish they all did.

I am amazed that folks are still having discussions about seat belt laws. Seat belts should be worn because it is the safest thing to do. Not because it's the law.

msgtord wrote:I am amazed that folks are still having discussions about seat belt laws. Seat belts should be worn because it is the safest thing to do. Not because it's the law.I agree but my MH only has belts for the driver and passenger. When I bought it I tried to get some installed on a side couch but no one will do it citing liability. One of these days I will try it myself but I'm not all that handy and I'm concerned about putting holes in things that are not supposed to have holes in them. So we do the best that we can with what we have.

seatbelt laws | Good Sam Community

msmith1199
Explorer II
May 21, 2015
dubdub07 wrote:
frankdamp wrote:
dubdub07:

I suggest you check applicability of California vehicle rules as they apply to vehicles registered in another state. Obviously, traffic rules apply, but vehicle construction rules probably won't. For example, it would put a big dent in CA's tourist business if all incoming vehicles had to meet their emission regulations.

Thanks. I really want to come out as being in Colorado I am not far away.

I can tell you in all the years I've been driving a motorhome in California I've only been pulled over one time. And that was because I was towing a flat trailer with my Harley on it and I had somehow lost my electrical adapter and couldn't plug the trailer into the motorhome so I had no trailer lights. Pretty sure that would be illegal in every state. I was traveling in daylight so he didn't give me a ticket.
msmith1199
Explorer II
May 21, 2015
dubdub07 wrote:
msmith1199 wrote:
50 different states and 50 different sets of laws. I was a cop for almost 30 years and all I can tell you is current California law requires all people in a motorhome to be in seatbelts. It originally started out as front seat passengers only and they quietly changed it and I didn't even know they changed it until I saw somebody on here mention it and I looked it up. My MH only has 5 sets of seatbelts in it. So technically I can only carry 5 people.

I want to go to Cali so bad in my MH, but all the crazy laws scare the******out of me.

I'm not going to deny that we get some weird laws, but I can assure you California isn't the only one with this particular law. I recall debating a guy on here many years ago who lived in Texas and he complained about California's dumb laws like not being able to have a TV turned on that the driver can view. So I looked up Texas law for him and showed him they had the same law.
dubdub07
Explorer
May 21, 2015
frankdamp wrote:
dubdub07:

I suggest you check applicability of California vehicle rules as they apply to vehicles registered in another state. Obviously, traffic rules apply, but vehicle construction rules probably won't. For example, it would put a big dent in CA's tourist business if all incoming vehicles had to meet their emission regulations.

Thanks. I really want to come out as being in Colorado I am not far away.
frankdamp
Explorer
May 21, 2015
dubdub07:

I suggest you check applicability of California vehicle rules as they apply to vehicles registered in another state. Obviously, traffic rules apply, but vehicle construction rules probably won't. For example, it would put a big dent in CA's tourist business if all incoming vehicles had to meet their emission regulations.
hipower
Explorer
May 21, 2015
A lot of worry about nothing. Load up and go. We finally made it last October and outside of a agricultural inspection for gypsy moths at the state line on I-80 because we are from PA there wasn't anything to deal with that we haven't encountered anywhere else we have traveled.
dubdub07
Explorer
May 21, 2015
msmith1199 wrote:
50 different states and 50 different sets of laws. I was a cop for almost 30 years and all I can tell you is current California law requires all people in a motorhome to be in seatbelts. It originally started out as front seat passengers only and they quietly changed it and I didn't even know they changed it until I saw somebody on here mention it and I looked it up. My MH only has 5 sets of seatbelts in it. So technically I can only carry 5 people.

I want to go to Cali so bad in my MH, but all the crazy laws scare the******out of me.
msmith1199
Explorer II
May 21, 2015
50 different states and 50 different sets of laws. I was a cop for almost 30 years and all I can tell you is current California law requires all people in a motorhome to be in seatbelts. It originally started out as front seat passengers only and they quietly changed it and I didn't even know they changed it until I saw somebody on here mention it and I looked it up. My MH only has 5 sets of seatbelts in it. So technically I can only carry 5 people.
holstein13
Explorer
May 20, 2015
dubdub07 wrote:
holstein13 wrote:
My coach has lap belts on the couch behind my driver's seat. Unfortunately, that' the last place my kids want to be while we are traveling. They (and I) much prefer they stay in their bunk beds watching DVDs or reading while traveling.

I wish I could install safety nets in their bunk beds (like some OTR truckers use) as I think that would be the optimum solution.

My two love to travel in the bunks. Fleetwood on the Discovery 40G put real nice nets covering the fronts of the bunks. I could post a pic if desired.

WW
Yes, please do. Sounds like a great feature.
dubdub07
Explorer
May 20, 2015
holstein13 wrote:
My coach has lap belts on the couch behind my driver's seat. Unfortunately, that' the last place my kids want to be while we are traveling. They (and I) much prefer they stay in their bunk beds watching DVDs or reading while traveling.

I wish I could install safety nets in their bunk beds (like some OTR truckers use) as I think that would be the optimum solution.

My two love to travel in the bunks. Fleetwood on the Discovery 40G put real nice nets covering the fronts of the bunks. I could post a pic if desired.

WW
holstein13
Explorer
May 20, 2015
My coach has lap belts on the couch behind my driver's seat. Unfortunately, that' the last place my kids want to be while we are traveling. They (and I) much prefer they stay in their bunk beds watching DVDs or reading while traveling.

I wish I could install safety nets in their bunk beds (like some OTR truckers use) as I think that would be the optimum solution.

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