Cars Without Seatbelts?
By Diana Bauder
@BloggerDi (3113)
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!
Are you old enough to remember when cars had no seatbelts? I'm so grateful to have them now. They save lives!13 people like this
14 responses
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
Absolutely! Me too.
Thanks @CarolDM.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
16 Oct 22
@BloggerDi The good ole days for sure.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86810)
• United States
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.
2 people like this
@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 (159318)
• 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.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
Right! I guess we don't miss what we don't know. Thank you @celticeagle.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62333)
• 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.
And yes, I absolutely had the “mom arm seatbelt” a number of times.2 people like this
@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.
Thanks @FourWalls.1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• 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
@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.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• 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.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215656)
• 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.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
Thanks @marguicha. Yes it sure seems to be a common reflex.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215656)
• 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.
@mythociate (21437)
• 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.'
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
Thanks a lot @mythociate. I have a '66 Mustang that has just the lap belts.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40576)
• 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
@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
@Marilynda1225 (79885)
• 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.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
14 Oct 22
@BloggerDi Yes, such people had cars. And also the police, of course.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
Thanks for sharing more interesting info that I wasn't aware of @MALUSE. Were military and government people the ones allowed to drive cars?
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
I agree @JudyEv. Wow, times sure have changed in the past 50+ years! Thank you.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
14 Oct 22
There are many people here in the US who feel that way too @dad212r. Thanks for your comment.
@dad212r (26)
• Indonesia
14 Oct 22
@BloggerDi You are welcome. I wish I could drive in the US someday.
1 person likes this
