Stock safety restraints in Europe?

[lloyd]

This question mainly concerns gray market cars imported to North America. To the best of my understanding, in the U.S. market, seat belts were made mandatory equipment in the 1960's and it wasn't until 1969 when mandatory shoulder restraints appeared. (Laws mandating the use of seat belts is an entirely different subject.)

If anyone knows, when did these restraints become mandatory in Europe, and more specifically, did all E9's have front and rear lap belts? In my personal experience, shoulder restraints all seem to be optional (poorly executed) afterthoughts.

Incidentally, one of the reasons for the question is the fact that much of the sales literature is devoid of safety restraint pictures. I also wonder whether there was any uniformity regarding gray market conversions, but I will leave that for another post.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Malc]

Seat belt mountings, ie the place where they bolt to became mandatory in 1965 on all cars in the UK. Seat belts were an option until around about 1967
I remember the cars my parents had when I was growing up (still am BTW) had 3 point seat belts rather than just lap belts. In fact I don't think a car was sold in the UK with just lapbelts in the front.
I vaguely remember my Dad's Ford Popular did not have seatbelts, He bought that around about 1962 or 3. He then got a Ford Zephr in 1965 which had 3 point belts. We had a Bedford Dormobile, basically a van with windows the fore runner of the MPV. It had belts and I remember sliding front doors which you could leave open as you drove along!. In 1968 they bought a series 2 109 Landrover which definitely had 3 point belts fitted as standard

However the mountings pre date the 1965 law, my 1962 MGA had the mounts for 3 point belts, which I have since fitted.
So in a round about way answering Lloyd's question I think your looking around about 1960 - 1964 for belts in Europe.
I do know that the 3 point was invented by Volvo. They thought it was so important for road safety that they either never took out a patent, or just let all the other manufactures use it for free.
If you check that date you will be pretty close to when 3 points were used in Europe.
Malc