NY Veh & Traf L § 383 (2021)
2021 New York Laws VAT - Vehicle and Traffic Title 3 - Safety Responsibility; Financial Security; Equipment; Inspection; Size and Weight; and Other Provisions Article 9 - Equipment of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles 383 - Safety Belts and Anchorage Assemblies.

§ 383. Safety   belts   and  anchorage  assemblies.  1.  Safety  belts required.  No motor vehicle shall be sold or registered  in  this  state and  no motor vehicle registered in this state shall be operated in this state unless such vehicle is equipped with safety belts approved by  and conforming to standards established by the commissioner as follows:  (a)  A  motor  vehicle manufactured or assembled after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-four and designated as a 1965 or later model,  at least two safety belts for the front seat;  (b)  A  motor  vehicle manufactured or assembled after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-six and designated as a 1967 or later  model,  at least one safety belt for the rear seat for each passenger for which the rear seat of such vehicle was designed;   * (c)  A  motor  vehicle manufactured or assembled on or after January first, nineteen hundred sixty-eight, at least one safety belt  for  each passenger seat position;   * NB  Repealed upon notification that any federal agency determines in writing that chapter 10 of 2020 would render New York  state  ineligible for  the receipt of federal funds or any court of competent jurisdiction finally determines that said chapter would render New York state out  of compliance with federal law or regulation (see chapter 10 of 2020 § 6)   * (c)  A  motor  vehicle manufactured or assembled on or after January first, nineteen hundred sixty-eight, at least one safety belt  for  each passenger seat position.   * NB Effective upon repeal (see chapter 10 of 2020 § 6)   * (d)  An  altered  motor  vehicle  commonly referred to as a "stretch limousine" which was altered on or after  January  first,  two  thousand twenty-one,  at  least two safety belts for the front seat, and at least one safety belt for the rear seat for each passenger for which the  rear seat of such vehicle was designed, and at least one safety belt for each passenger seat position.   * NB  Repealed upon notification that any federal agency determines in writing that chapter 10 of 2020 would render New York  state  ineligible for  the receipt of federal funds or any court of competent jurisdiction finally determines that said chapter would render New York state out  of compliance with federal law or regulation (see chapter 10 of 2020 § 6)   * 1-a.  No  altered  motor  vehicle commonly referred to as a "stretch limousine" which was  altered  prior  to  January  first,  two  thousand twenty-one shall be sold or registered in this state and no such altered motor  vehicle  altered  prior to January first, two thousand twenty-one registered in this state shall be operated in  this  state  unless  such vehicle  is  retrofitted  and equipped with safety belts approved by and conforming to standards established by the commissioner as  follows:  at least  two safety belts for the front seat, and at least one safety belt for the rear seat for each passenger for which the  rear  seat  of  such vehicle  was  designed,  and at least one safety belt for each passenger seat position.   * NB Effective February 3, 2022; Repealed upon notification  that  any federal  agency  determines  in  writing  that  chapter 10 of 2020 would render New York state ineligible for the receipt of federal funds or any court of competent jurisdiction finally  determines  that  said  chapter would  render  New  York  state  out  of  compliance with federal law or regulation (see chapter 10 of 2020 § 6)   2. Anchorage assemblies. No motor vehicle shall be sold or  registered in  this  state  unless  such motor vehicle is equipped with safety belt assembly  anchorages  conforming  to  standards   established   by   the commissioner  for  each  safety  belt required in such motor vehicle. In addition,  no  motor  vehicle  manufactured  or  assembled  after   June thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred  sixty-two  shall be sold or registered in  this state unless such  motor  vehicle  is  equipped  with  safety  belt assembly   anchorages   conforming   to  standards  established  by  the commissioner for two safety belts for the front seat of such vehicle.   3.  Sale  of  safety  belts. No safety belt shall be sold for use in a motor vehicle, or installed in a motor vehicle unless such  safety  belt is   approved   by,   and  conforms  to  standards  established  by  the commissioner.   4. Safety belts required in certain used motor  vehicles.  No  person, firm,  association  or corporation engaged in the business of selling or leasing used motor vehicles, shall sell or lease any used motor  vehicle manufactured   or  assembled  after  June  thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred sixty-two and designated as a 1963 or subsequent year model unless  such motor  vehicle  is  equipped with two safety belts for the front seat of such motor vehicle. This provision shall not  apply  to  motor  vehicles sold at wholesale or for junk.   4-a.   Driver   seat   safety   belts   for  certain  motor  vehicles. Notwithstanding any other  provisions  of  this  chapter,  it  shall  be unlawful  for  the owner of a bus as defined in section one hundred four of this chapter and manufactured on or  after  January  first,  nineteen hundred   sixty-five  or  a  motor  vehicle  used  for  the  purpose  of transporting children to and from public or private  schools  to  permit such  vehicle  to  be  used for such purpose unless the driver's seat on such vehicle is  equipped  with  a  seat  safety  belt  of  a  type  and specifications  as  approved  by the commissioner of motor vehicles. Any owner who permits a motor vehicle to be  operated  without  such  safety belt  or  any  person who operates a motor vehicle and fails to use such safety belt shall be in violation of the provisions of this  subdivision and shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding fifty dollars.   * 4-b.  Taxicabs,  liveries,  and  stretch limousines. All seat safety belts installed in a taxicab or livery vehicle or in  an  altered  motor vehicle  commonly  referred to as a "stretch limousine" pursuant to this section shall be clearly visible,  accessible  and  maintained  in  good working  order,  and  no  seat  safety belt installed in such taxicab or livery vehicle or altered motor vehicle shall be removed therefrom.   * NB Repealed upon notification that any federal agency determines  in writing  that  chapter 10 of 2020 would render New York state ineligible for the receipt of federal funds or any court of competent  jurisdiction finally  determines that said chapter would render New York state out of compliance with federal law or regulation (see chapter 10 of 2020 § 6)   * 4-b. Taxicabs and liveries. All seat safety  belts  installed  in  a taxicab  or  livery  vehicle  pursuant  to this section shall be clearly visible, accessible and maintained in good working order,  and  no  seat safety belt installed in such taxicab or livery vehicle shall be removed therefrom.   * NB Effective upon repeal (see chapter 10 of 2020 § 6)   5. (a) Passenger seat safety belts for school buses. Every school bus, as   defined   in   section  one  hundred  forty-two  of  this  chapter, manufactured for use in this state on and  after  July  first,  nineteen hundred  eighty-seven,  shall be designed so that all passenger seats on such vehicle are equipped with seat safety belts and increased seat back padding on passenger seats of a type and specification  as  approved  by the  commissioner  of  transportation  through the adoption of rules and regulations. Such rules and regulations  shall  provide  that  when  any contactable surface of the school bus, as specified in the Federal Motor Vehicle  Safety  Standard,  49 CFR Section 571.222, is impacted from any direction at twenty-two feet per second by  the  head  form,  the  axial  acceleration  at  the  center  of gravity of the head form shall be such that the head form impact requirement shall not exceed eight hundred.  (b)  Passenger seat safety belts for existing school buses. Any school bus as defined in section one hundred forty-two of this  chapter,  which is scheduled for retrofitting pursuant to action by a board of education or  board  of trustees under section thirty-six hundred thirty-five-a of the education law shall be retrofitted so that all  passenger  seats  on such vehicles are equipped with seat safety belts and additional padding of  a  type  and  specification  as  approved  by  the  commissioner  of transportation through the adoption of rules and regulations. Such rules and regulations shall provide that when any contactable surface  of  the school  bus  as  specified in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, 49CFR Section 571.222 is impacted from any direction at twenty-two  feet per  second  by  the  head form, the axial acceleration at the center of gravity of the head form  shall  be  such  that  the  head  form  impact requirement   shall   not   exceed   eight   hundred.  Furthermore,  the commissioner shall have the  power  through  rules  and  regulations  to exempt  certain  design school buses from retrofitting. In granting such exemptions, the commissioner shall consider safety  factors,  structural integrity  of  the  school buses and any other items deemed necessary to preserve the safety and welfare of the school bus  passengers.  Provided further  however  that  the  commissioner  of  transportation  shall not authorize retrofitting of any school bus  manufactured  prior  to  April first, nineteen hundred seventy-seven.   6.   Regulations.  The  Commissioner  shall  establish  by  regulation standards for safety belts, safety belt anchorage  assemblies,  and  the installation  of  safety  belts  in motor vehicles. The commissioner may also by regulation exclude certain motor  vehicles  or  types  of  motor vehicles  from  the  requirements  of this section. The commissioner may prescribe the method of securing approval of safety belts.