Back when Vine was a thing (you know, the short videos that evolved into musical.ly and then TikTok) there was a somewhat famous video of a red-haired boy “dancing” in the backseat of a moving car. He was maybe 11 years old. Some may know the video I am referring to. Many people pointed out that it’s dangerous that he doesn’t have his seatbelt fastened. However, a significant number of people said that it doesn’t matter and people should “chill” since he’s in the backseat where it’s safe and you don’t necessarily need to fasten your seatbelt.
I am not talking about whether you’re legally required to fasten your seatbelt. I only want to know if it’s true people believe the seatbelt isn’t necessary for safely in the backseat, and if so, why.
30 comments
I don’t think you should be judging the general beliefs of a country has off of a vine. Also you know that not everyone who used vine is American right
People do not believe that.
Everyone knows you should. Some people elect not to all the same.
OP, it might blow your mind how much time people spend out in the country riding in the back of a pickup truck.
Never trust TikTok, gives faux-thenticity and false assumptions of societal life
yes that belief is pretty common; many states require all passengers to wear seatbelts but like 10 or 12 do not require this for people in the back seat. No idea why people think it’s safe though.
The law (at least where and when I learned it) only requires passengers in the front seat to wear a seatbelt. People often equate ‘not illegal’ with ‘right’ which doesn’t always work out to their benefit.
My dad really started enforcing everyone’s seatbelt in 1995 or so.
Before that I definitely remember standing up in the backseat as a small child.
Should this surprise you when a significant number pitched a fit if they were asked to wear a little cloth mask when they went into a store for a gallon of milk?
I remember when seatbelt laws came into effect in the mid-80s, a lot of die-hard anti-seatbelters refused wear them. As Dad said at the time, “I wonder if that’ll be his last thought as he flies through the windshield of his Cutlass?”
Most people are sensible and law abiding. The ones who aren’t are over-represented because they’re loud about it.
C’mon, don’t be so easily influenced by these social media apps.
An irresponsible parent filming their kid for social media likes is not the norm in this country, no. Most parents are very responsible and take their child’s safety in the car very seriously.
If I’m in a car, the seatbelt is on. I’d be uncomfortable with a passenger in my car making a big deal out of not wearing one, there’s a liability issue in case of accident.
New Hampshire, by far the most libertarian state in these matters, has seatbelts optional for adults over the age of 18. However, children do have to wear seatbelts, as far as I know. So the scenario you’re describing wouldn’t even be legal here.
There was the usual ‘don’t tell me what to do!’ Resistance to the concept of seatbelts when they first started coming out. The stereotypical no-seatbelt user is usually either really old person for whom it never was force of habit, or really reckless teens.
You are basing a belief of “Most Americans” on the comments of one old vine you saw?
How do you now that all the commenters were even American?
Is critical thought not a thing?
Just about every American I’ve known wears seat belts in the back and they make sure the kids are wearing them, too. Maybe its just TikTok users that are retarded about it.
In my state you legally don’t have to wear a seatbelt
Some state seatbelt laws don’t require seatbelts in the back seat. Personally, on the rare occasions I sit in the back seat, I buckle up if we’re going on the highway. If we’re just in town, I don’t. (although for that matter, I don’t always buckle up in town when I’m the one driving either.. old habits die hard, the car I learned to drive in didn’t even have seatbelts.)
I don’t know any Americans that are ok with having people unbuckled in the back seat of their cars, the only exceptions that I can think of are when you’re doing a short, low-speed trip in the back of a taxi.
However, it seems to be extremely common in Mexico for some reason.
Guess what, people still smoke. Some people in the *front* seat don’t wear wear their seatbelt.
No, not at all. My car is not moving unless everyone has their seatbelt on. I don’t know the height and weight of that 11 year old, but if he’s small enough he might even need to be in a booster seat or have a seatbelt harness on. The USA has strict seat belt and child seat rules, and those parents could easily be ticketed.
Really? You watched Vine/Tiktok and asked a question as it if applies to over 330 million people?
No.
Some random people with rocks for brains you encountered on the Internet don’t equal many Americans.
Are there people who believe that its not necessary to use a seatbelt in the back seat? Sure.
Just as there are people who will believe that there is no harm to them from smoking.
Some side will find some study, if not fund one to their desired outcome, on how it is or isn’t as safe wearing a seatbelt.. There are still plenty who will argue over the use of any seat belt due the possibility of being trapped in the vehicle from a seatbelt that won’t release…
And just FYI last I checked back seat belts were only required by law in about 30 states + DC, and some states that have its not primary enforcement. So even states which mandate the front use, fall into this trap… it
Before I even start my vehicle I’m already buckled in. And for the most part I won’t start moving till everyone’s buckled as well, especially my little cousins. Ain’t taking any chances with their safety.
Seatbelt wearing has been drilled into, and I’m sure for the rest of my generation as well.
For a lot of people, if it isn’t mandated, they don’t bother. And weirdly I know of people who believe if it’s not mandated, they have no responsibility to themselves to take care of themselves.
For a long time most states had laws that only people in the front of the car had to wear seatbelts. This is where that mindset comes from. This has not been the case for at least the last 20 years, but there are still people who don’t wear it in the backseat and they’re stupid. The vast majority of people in the US believe in wearing their seatbelts.
Here’s an actual answer rather than people shitting on you for asking a question:
It is not illegal to be unbuckled in the backseat. If you get pulled over, and the people in your backseat do not have seatbelts on, there is no ticket that can be given to you for that. You also cannot be pulled over purely for not wearing a seatbelt, it is a secondary offense. You have to be pulled over for something else first.
The backseat being legal thing = people believing it’s safe. It’s not.
I think most people generally do not think this way though, just giving some insight on why they might.
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edit: this is not true in all states but i believe applies to most of them. ohio and nc for sure.
No, Americans believe pets don’t need to be fastened because… well, there’s no actual reason, it just doesn’t occur to most people to even consider it.
A few miscellaneous notes on seatbelts in the US:
* Many people in older generations choose not to wear seatbelts at all. Sometimes it’s because seatbelts weren’t mandatory when they were kids. There also used to be a popular myth that it was safer to be thrown from a car in an accident.
* Laws vary by state, but in many places, passengers in the back of a car are not legally required to wear seatbelts past a certain age or weight.
* I’m not sure exactly why, but it’s very common for passengers in taxis to not wear seatbelts.
* Some members of a certain political ideology (libertarianism) feel that seatbelt laws are an example of government overreach, and choose not to wear seatbelts as a form of protest. In the state of New Hampshire, where libertarianism is fairly popular, seatbelts are not required for adults, whether in the front or back seat, and it’s very common for people to not use the seatbelt.
I would imagine that doing stupid and dangerous things for attention or clout on social media is not uniquely American.
No, the vast majority of Americans understand the need to where a seat belt no matter where you are seated.
Some idiots believe that, but they’re a minority. Anyone with a shred of sense knows that when you come to a sudden stop, anything not tied down will keep going forward at the same velocity. Kid will just slam into whatever is in his way and injure himself.
I think most parents are probably more strict about seatbelts than the average passenger.