anyone here ever been pulled over for "No seatbelt" before?

[SonOfaTomP]

was recently pulled over and given a warning by the Bel Air, Maryland Police. officer said from where he was (behind my car and in the left lane) he could not see my seatbelt. luckily i was only given a warning because he had to document the reason for the stop. I asked my father who also drove M's for years and he also said he got pulled over all the time for believed seatbelt infractions. is this a common thing with these cars?

 

[Aspen500]

Why the warning when he walked up and saw the seatbelt was on?

Had a friend pulled over for that about 25 years ago in his 1964 Starfire, which of course had no shoulder harness. When the cop told why he was pulled over, my buddy pointed to his waist and told the cop his seat belt was on. Cop asked why the shoulder harnesses were missing. He told him the car is a '64 and cars didn't have shoulder belts until '68. Young cop and don't think he really believed him though. Similar reason everyone with an AAR or T/A Challenger around here carried the dealer bulletin and page from the parts catalog to prove the exhaust was stock original, when they got pulled over for "excessive noise" and exhaust not exiting behind the passenger compartment. Oops, went off topic a bit, sorry.

 

[MoparDan]

was recently pulled over and given a warning by the Bel Air, Maryland Police. officer said from where he was (behind my car and in the left lane) he could not see my seatbelt. luckily i was only given a warning because he had to document the reason for the stop. I asked my father who also drove M's for years and he also said he got pulled over all the time for believed seatbelt infractions. is this a common thing with these cars?

View attachment 50138

It never happened to me not in an M-body, but once I was driving my sister to school in my old 600 convertible and as I got off the highway there's a cop car, he looks like he's about to pull us over for that until I got close and he could see we had them on, once again it's an '80s convertible so the seatbelts were low, luckily we were both wearing light clothes and the interior was dark red, so the seatbelts showed

 

[SonOfaTomP]

Why the warning when he walked up and saw the seatbelt was on?

Had a friend pulled over for that about 25 years ago in his 1964 Starfire, which of course had no shoulder harness. When the cop told why he was pulled over, my buddy pointed to his waist and told the cop his seat belt was on. Cop asked why the shoulder harnesses were missing. He told him the car is a '64 and cars didn't have shoulder belts until '68. Young cop and don't think he really believed him though. Similar reason everyone with an AAR or T/A Challenger around here carried the dealer bulletin and page from the parts catalog to prove the exhaust was stock original, when they got pulled over for "excessive noise" and exhaust not exiting behind the passenger compartment. Oops, went off topic a bit, sorry.

Officer said warning is given just as to document the reason for the stop. odd rule. or he lied because he didn't wanna be proven wrong. i was mad respectful though

 

[Aspen500]

I've never been pulled over but if I did, it would be "yes officer" or "no officer"

 

[MoparDan]

Officer said warning is given just as to document the reason for the stop. odd rule. or he lied because he didn't wanna be proven wrong. i was mad respectful though

One of the first things Dad told me about driving was always be respectful to the cop (you can always fight the ticket afterwards) A few years ago I was pulled over and it was total entrapment: he got behind me after leaving a store and instantly taillights me to the point where if I had even touched the brake pedal he WOULD'VE slammed into The Cherry Bomb's rear bumper, a few feet away another cop has someone else pulled over, I start to let off the gas but the cop didn't so I maintained my speed, went around the guy pulled over and a second later the cop tailgating me pulls me over for not slowing down, a huge ticket that took me two months to pay...but I if hadn't been respectful I know he would've found some excuse to arrest me (of course if he knew I was homeless he would've found some excuse to arrest me anyways)

 

[SonOfaTomP]

my father was Baltimore Police for years so i've always had respect for police. i said "yes Officer, i definitely had this belt on this whole time, imma reach here and get my id ok? have a nice day Officer" i can't complain. yeah it sucks being blamed for something i didn't do but it's just a warning. i just found it interesting Dad also saying sometimes cops can't see the belt. and my seat's don't recline so idk how they can't.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Hypothetically, it's called a fishing expedition. If I, allegedly, don't have a good reason to pull you over, I could, theoretically, say it looked liked to me that you didn't have your seatbelt on.

Theoretically. All hypothetical.

 

[volare 1977]

Yea, BS stop.

 

[Duke5A]

I'd be inclined to believe the cop that he didn't see the belt on. If he was fishing for a reason for the stop he could have easily used the Mardi Gras and pine forest hanging from the rearview for obstruction of view, and had a totally legit reason (I'm guilty of this stuff too, just pointing out it would be a legit reason he could use).

Now a total BS reason would be the one I got years ago after being pulled over in a small town adjacent to the one I grew up in. Cop said my car matched the description of a stolen vehicle. My 5A had Cragar S/S rims and pearl ghost flames back then. Just smile and nod, and move on. Nothing good comes out of arguing with cops.

I've been pulled over dozens of times since then though. Every one of them justified. lol.

 

[armataz]

was recently pulled over and given a warning by the Bel Air, Maryland Police. officer said from where he was (behind my car and in the left lane) he could not see my seatbelt. luckily i was only given a warning because he had to document the reason for the stop. I asked my father who also drove M's for years and he also said he got pulled over all the time for believed seatbelt infractions. is this a common thing with these cars?

View attachment 50138

this is a common excuse to pull people over for a vehicle check. I also get pulled over some times for a tail light out when using my single bulb turn signal/break light, or no plate light in my grand voyager,( I started using red light bulbs, so they can see the license plate lights better)
as long as you are using your factory installed seat belts properly. the officer had no right to issue a warning, and you can file a complaint against him. because you did nothing in violation of the law. even if your vehicles factory belt is only a lap restraint. it is the legal factory safety belt for your vehicle. if your car is old enough, you dont even legally need to have belts, because they were not factory installed.
police officers can use any excuse to pull you over, to do a vehicle check. just be polite and fallow heir instructions, if you feel the officer was excessive or abusive in using his legal authority. you have the right to report it. the oficers name and badge number will be on the written warning

 

[brotherGood]

Now a total BS reason would be the one I got years ago after being pulled over in a small town adjacent to the one I grew up in. Cop said my car matched the description of a stolen vehicle. My 5A had Cragar S/S rims and pearl ghost flames back then. Just smile and nod, and move on. Nothing good comes out of arguing with cops.

Haha..sounds similar to my dealing. I got pulled over driving my AHB and asked to step out of the vehicle because a car matching the description of mine had just driven off without paying for fuel, and it was called in right as I drove by a sheriff car. I looked at the officer and calmly stated the fact that while the chances of finding a white crapbox with a black trunk around here were high, the probability of it being anything remotely close to my car were slim at best.

It got even more interesting when he looked and noticed I had a full tank. Thankfully I was able to pull up my banking app on my phone and show him that Id gotten fuel an hour prior. He apologized, thanked me for being respectful and let me leave.

Now that I think of it..every time I was pulled over in that car was an event..hahaha

 

[SonOfaTomP]

before this i had an extremely close call. this was before i officially had my license (i'm only in my early 20s) i had driven my car to the store by myself because it was raining. this was right after my rear view mirror had fallen off and was taped to the dash and my front plate was zip tied to the grille, and used to stall all the time. as i was leaving, an MSP car got behind me as i was leaving. i really thought i was done for but thankfully he turned off. after that i made sure the car stayed parked until i finished my driving tests

 

[volare 1977]

One time I had been pulled over three times in one night within about a hour. I had a headlight go out on the way home from work and I was stopped and I got a inspection ticket. Crossed the bridge and on the other side I got pulled over again. I showed them the ticket and they said to move on. About another 20 minutes later another cop threw on his lights and I just waved the ticket out my window and he drove off. They were looking for drunk drivers as it was about 2 am. What a pain.

 

[Autostocks]

In Michigan you cannot be pulled over for a seatbelt infraction alone.

 

[Duke5A]

In Michigan you cannot be pulled over for a seatbelt infraction alone.

That's news to me, and a few police officers too.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

And not according to their own website:

"Michigan has a primary seat belt law, which means law enforcement can stop and ticket motorists solely for not being buckled up"

 

[Autostocks]

My bad. When they first passed the seat belt law, that's the way it was. Must have changed somewhere along the line.

 

[LSM360]

God forbid if the Officer actually made a mistake and did not see your seatbelt. Afterall, he's not human he is a precise and perfect robot incapable of making an error and actually believing your seatbelt wasn't fastened. Maybe kudos to him for not issuing you a citation because he knew he wasn't positive after actually stopping you.

I'm done, go on with your generalizing and cop bashing and stories of how bad cops are. They should ALL be absolutely perfect like some of you.

 

[LSM360]

And not according to their own website:

"Michigan has a primary seat belt law, which means law enforcement can stop and ticket motorists solely for not being buckled up"

Florida is now too.