I think all the occupants on the Powerwagon Bus have to be strapped in.
Unless there are 16 cavers on board ). Feel free to correct me on that.
Unless you remove the seatbelts behind the front seats. :-7
The law is specific in that it is only an offense "Provided the vehicle is
equiped with a safety belt".
And per Section 547.601 which outlines what "equiped with a seatbelt" means:
§ 547.601. SAFETY BELTS REQUIRED. A motor vehicle
required by Chapter 548 to be inspected shall be equipped with front
safety belts if safety belt anchorages were part of the
manufacturer's original equipment on the vehicle.
There is not a requirement for a vehicle to have rear seatbelts even if there
are anchorages provided by the manufacturer. Doesn't mean you won't get sued
and all of that when someone exits the vehicle through a window because there
wasn't a seatbelt, but the law itself kind of makes a loophole. I found this
when reserching for an art car I'm building.
Puppy
=:-)
Sec. 545.413. Safety Belts; Offense.
(a) A person commits an offense if:
(1) the person:
(A) is at least 15 years of age;
(B) is riding in [the front seat of] a passenger vehicle while the vehicle is
being operated;
(C) is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt; and
(D) is not secured by a safety belt; or
(2) as the operator of a school bus equipped with a safety20belt for the
operator's seat, the person is not secured by the safety belt.
(b) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) operates a passenger vehicle that is equipped with safety belts; and
(2) allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required
to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under Section 545.412(a)
to ride in the vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety
belt, provided the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety
belt.
(b-1) A person commits an offense if the person allows a child who is younger
than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger
safety seat system under Section 545.412(a) to ride in a passenger van
designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver, without
securing the child individually by a safety belt, if the child is occupying a
seat that is equipped with a safety belt.
(c) A passenger vehicle or a seat in a passenger vehicle is considered to be
equipped with a safety belt if the vehicle is required under Section 547.601 to
be equipped with safety belts.
(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of
not less than $25 or more than $50. An offense under Subsection (b) is a
misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $200.
