Earlier today i found some old motoring magazines while having a clear out and in the September 1968 edition of Pratical Motorist is the the following letter which made me smile:
"In view of the unnecessary high cost of seat belts I made my own some years ago. They consist of triple pleated plastic clothes line which cost 4s 6d, plus the cost of the usual four floor bolts.
Naturally they do not carry the Kite-Mark. My car was first registered in January 1965 and must be fited with BSI approved seat belts. How can i obtain the Kite-mark for my home made belts ?"
I won't type all of the magazines reply to him but basically they advise that he would be unlikely to obtain approval for them !
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Madness ! Npt likely to conform.....wonder how many points that would earn now.
I have quite a few PM mags from the 50s. I'll have a look through and see what other howlers there are.
I remember, when belt became obligatory, there were many schemes thought up to get round wearing them. One was to get SWM to knit a white pullover with a black diagonal down from the right shoulder to fool the police !
Ted
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A bit tangential... I had cause to travel in a Beijing Taxi yesterday, the rear belts were deliberately rendered unusable by being jammed behind / under the seat. The driver (or indeed drivers of other cars that I observed) didn't wear a belt and motor cyclists don't wear helmets either. I felt decidedly uncomfortable, how attitudes (in the UK) have changed.
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Same here, IC, but in South Africa, where even in affluent Sandton there are a lot of tatty old vehicles being used for private hire - a 1990s VW minibus in this case. I found it rather alarming and sought out something more contemporary when it was my turn to choose.
Considering that as a student I rode many times in the Toyota minibus taxis that serve as public transport in much of Southern Africa (where a seatbelt was superfluous as there was no space left to be thrown into), and even in that other staple of African motor transport, the bed of a pickup truck, my standards must have changed with advancing age.
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>> I remember, when belt became obligatory, ...........
I remember it too ~ it was 1983 (where fitted) for front seat adults. www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/child_safety/seatbelts.html
However, immediately after having seen a driver with a steering column stuck in this chest I fitted (and wore!) belts in 1965 in my Singer Chamois.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Mon 16 May 11 at 14:49
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I specifically remeber the date L'es, as it was close to my birthday and we were treated to a drive in teh Triumph 2000 to the seaside for a winter's walk on the prom.
Dad made quite a fuss about wearing the belt, but complied in the end after much nagging. Then, 4 months later, he was knocked off his motorbike and killed. Fat lot of good the seatbelt did him.
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Home made seat belts - Ted
