40 Glorious Years Of Road Totalitarianism

[59Impala]

I passed my driving test in March 1972 and bought a 1962 Anglia which didn't have seat belts, did have a hole in the floor and crunchy sills etc. Being a 17yo imbecile I used to whizz about in it without a care in the world and no regard for my own safety. My mum then said that they had bought me a car, a 1968 Cortina 1300 which did have seat belts which I guess I did wear although I can't remember if I did or didn't. Likewise my ancient memory can't recall if I wore a belt when a passenger. My Impala and Anglia don't have belts but I'm not bothered about that, I just drive carefully as usual. Oh and going back to the Cortina, my mum said 'we've bought you a car but you're paying for it'. Oh initial jubilation deflated. They had bought it as they were worried that I would kill myself in the rusty Anglia, bless them. Still didn't stop me thrashing the Cortina though.

[PhilA]

If a car's got belts, I wear it.

Occasionally grasp over my shoulder getting into the Chieftain if I'm not thinking.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

When I first started seeing my now wife, she used to come up from London on a coach on Friday night. OneFriday I was in the middle of stripping an almost immaculate Cortina 2000E Estate in that lovely metallic purple. It was to be an engine doner for an Escort but a bloke in the pub was paying what I’d paid for the car for the interior for his manky pvc seated 1.6L.
On noticing that I was late to pick her up I jumped in the Cortina and drove like an idiot to the coach station, as I lurched into the car park in a cloud of tyre smoke, I noticed one of TVP finest sitting in his Chevette. I jumped out and ran over to the cafe to stop him coming to the car, which was untested, untaxed and half of the interior missing. He came over to me and pointed out my exuberant driving style, I meekly nodded and agreed to slow down. His parting shot was “ And make sure you put your seatbelt on”
As it had no seatbelts, we had to sit in the cafe until he finished his break, much to the amusement of my Mrs.

[cros]

Though seatbelts and helmets were not compulsory when I started driving/riding I tend to wear them nowadays as theres bound to be several days wait to winkle out a new screen for the Bedford.

[Guest]

If a car's got belts, I wear it.

Occasionally grasp over my shoulder getting into the Chieftain if I'm not thinking.

Same here, if it hasn't it's usually very slow and old and I try not to get run into.

[Warren t claim]

When I first started seeing my now wife, she used to come up from London on a coach on Friday night. OneFriday I was in the middle of stripping an almost immaculate Cortina 2000E Estate in that lovely metallic purple. It was to be an engine doner for an Escort but a bloke in the pub was paying what I’d paid for the car for the interior for his manky pvc seated 1.6L.
On noticing that I was late to pick her up I jumped in the Cortina and drove like an idiot to the coach station, as I lurched into the car park in a cloud of tyre smoke, I noticed one of TVP finest sitting in his Chevette. I jumped out and ran over to the cafe to stop him coming to the car, which was untested, untaxed and half of the interior missing. He came over to me and pointed out my exuberant driving style, I meekly nodded and agreed to slow down. His parting shot was “ And make sure you put your seatbelt on”
As it had no seatbelts, we had to sit in the cafe until he finished his break, much to the amusement of my Mrs.

And more recently, did you always "clunk click" whilst driving a licenced vehicle even though you didn't have to?

In the Mk4 Mondeo I still remember the procedure for permanently switching off the seat belt light and buzzer. Turn ignition on, fasten and unfasten the belt nine times, start the engine, fasten the belt, drive 200 yrds and then unfasten the belt.

My 2007 Passat had the belt alarm turned off using VAGCOM. One quirk of this was that the automatic electric handbrake wouldn't work if I wasn't wearing a belt.

The Ioniq needed the alarm timing out after 90 seconds. If the chiming annoys you then simply stream the song I Don't Want A Lover, I Just Need A Friend by Texas as that song blends perfectly with the seat belt chime. Being a hybrid there's no need to turn the engine off during a shift.

The Insignia is similar to the Ioniq, only that whenever the driver's door is opened the chime starts again for another minute.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Most of the time I’d wear a belt, except at night on the odd occasions I’d do some real work when like any sensible driver I’d rather take my chances against the steering wheel than some amateur Albert Pierrepoint.
On the subject of buzzers, the one on my XF has done a Jag and stopped working, I must admit I’ve had a few bollockings off my Mrs when she’s noticed I’ve forgotten to put it on.

[SiC]

My 2007 Passat had the belt alarm turned off using VAGCOM. One quirk of this was that the automatic electric handbrake wouldn't work if I wasn't wearing a belt.

The handbrake/seat belt requirement can be disabled and coded out too. Likewise needing a foot on the brake pedal.

I'd have thought you'd use one of those seatbelt plugs to make the car think it has one in?

[mercrocker]

If there are belts in the car Mrs Rocker tends to wear them religiously except when reversing. It took me some time to convince her the bingbonging she hears in reverse in the Focus is the seatbelt nagger, not some kind of proximity alarm. Thankfully she never waited for the chiming to stop before applying the brakes.....

[paulplom]

The little pug has a very annoying beep as soon as you start moving. It turns into a continuous noise that goes through you after about ten seconds. It really does make you put your belt on even it you're just moving about.
Van just beeps but it's just about bareable.
TT does nothing not even a warning light. I wonder if it's disabled or fucked.