Cars Without Seatbelts? / myLot

United States

October 13, 2022 10:59am CST

I saw this funny cartoon on Facebook recently. I do have memories of riding in cars without seatbelts, which is actually no laughing matter! I remember my mom doing the arm protection thing too. I also did that with my kids if we had to stop suddenly, even though we had seatbelts. I think it's just a parent/grandparent automatic response for most of us! I just looked up car seatbelt history. I read that a few cars had them as early as mid-1950's, but they weren't a standard feature until 1968. (I was born in 1963.) So I learned something new today!

Are you old enough to remember when cars had no seatbelts? I'm so grateful to have them now. They save lives!

12 people like this

13 responses

CarolDM

@CarolDM (203422)

• Nashville, Tennessee

13 Oct 22

I remember it like it was yesterday with my Mom doing this, even with seatbelts. Just an instinct.

2 people like this

Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Absolutely! Me too. Thanks @CarolDM.

1 person likes this

CarolDM

@CarolDM (203422)

• Nashville, Tennessee

16 Oct 22

@BloggerDi The good ole days for sure.

1 person likes this

OceanTiara

@RebeccasFarm (89980)

• Arvada, Colorado

13 Oct 22

Yes I am way old enough Diana, I guess they are useful but as we know, they do not always save a person sad to say.

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

So true @RebeccasFarm. Thank you.

ShannyBananny

@shaggin (72148)

• United States

13 Oct 22

I don’t think I’ve ever ridden in a car without a seatbelt. You are right about it just being a parent thing. I always put my arm out too like it’s really going to help

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Thanks for commenting @shaggin. I had the same thought! The arm in front of the passenger won't help much at all if there's impact.

1 person likes this

celticeagle

@celticeagle (167211)

• Boise, Idaho

14 Oct 22

I recall being in many a car with no seat belts. We never thought a thing of it back then.

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celticeagle

@celticeagle (167211)

• Boise, Idaho

14 Oct 22

@BloggerDi .......Or know the concept of.

Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Right! I guess we don't miss what we don't know. Thank you @celticeagle.

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Four Walls

@FourWalls (68230)

• United States

13 Oct 22

I think our cars had seatbelts from when I was born (1960), but the first thing my dad did when we got a new car was tuck those things in the crevasse of the seat!

And yes, I absolutely had the “mom arm seatbelt” a number of times.

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Hahaa, I remember tucking them in too, so we wouldn't sit on them when not in use.

Thanks @FourWalls.

1 person likes this

Jim Bauer

@porwest (91311)

• United States

14 Oct 22

I think I may have been in a couple. My grandparent's car for example. But I was born in 1973, so I mostly remember always having seatbelts. I don't think car seats were really a thing back then too. Interesting other fact about seatbelts is that shoulder straps weren't added until after a few cases of people having their spines severed from the old simple lap belts.

1 person likes this

Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Thank you @porwest. That's a very interesting fact! Makes sense though...a lap belt doesn't protect the passenger from severe whiplash.

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

15 Oct 22

@porwest Very sad!

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Jim Bauer

@porwest (91311)

• United States

15 Oct 22

@BloggerDi No. It doesn't. I actually know someone, a friend of my aunt's whose son was paralyzed when he was sitting in the back seat with only a lap belt and his spine separated. This happened many years ago of course.

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marguicha

@marguicha (223298)

• Chile

13 Oct 22

I am old enough to remember. And I´m old enough to remember my husband do that to my grandchildren although seatbelts were starting to be in use.

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Thanks @marguicha. Yes it sure seems to be a common reflex.

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marguicha

@marguicha (223298)

• Chile

14 Oct 22

@BloggerDi When I was a child we children drove in the rear part of a small truck when we went for vacations.

Uncle Jay, Finding More Value in Your Machine

@mythociate (21432)

• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

13 Oct 22

I'm an '81 baby, but my mom DID have an old (for some reason I think '57 ... though I MIGHT be thinking that because it's the year SHE was born) Mustang---or maybe it was SIXTY-seven; and they put SOME seat-belts in there, but they weren't 'the standard we're used to.'

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Thanks a lot @mythociate. I have a '66 Mustang that has just the lap belts.

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Vicki, #1 Creek Girl

@1creekgirl (41459)

• United States

13 Oct 22

We started wearing seat belts long before they were legally required. But before that, we had no idea how dangerous it was to ride in a car without seatbelts. When our first child was about 18months, he rode in the front corner of the front seat next to me all the way to Arkansas. It horrifies me now! Thank God we didn't have an accident.

1 person likes this

Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

I guess we have all learned a lot from all the changes through the years @1creekgirl. Thanks for sharing about traveling with your son. Many of us who were children in the pre-seatbelt era are fortunate to be alive!

1 person likes this

MARILYN

@Marilynda1225 (82839)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Yes I do remember cars not having seatbelts. Back in the day my kids would be in the back seat and jumping around.

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solxee

@sol_cee (38219)

• Philippines

14 Oct 22

Seatbelt is life!!

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Yes indeed! Thank you @sol_cee.

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (340489)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

I certainly remember no seat-belts and all the controversy about whether we should be forced to wear them or not. Now, it's almost automatic to put them on when you get in a car.

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Diana Bauder

@BloggerDi (3113)

• United States

14 Oct 22

I agree @JudyEv. Wow, times sure have changed in the past 50+ years! Thank you.

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