Legal Jump Seats

Although your letter does not include drawings of the vehicle or seats, it is clear from the attached photos that the seats in question are large enough to accommodate a 5th percentile woman. Consequently, these seats, unless they are auxiliary seating positions or folding seats within the meaning of § 571.3, are designated seating positions. The following table outlines statewide child passenger safety laws across the country. Use the arrows below the chart to scroll through the states in alphabetical order. To continue slowly, click the right arrow (>). To go to the end, click the double arrows (>>). Or use the Filter by Status feature to switch to a specific state. Scroll down to see a summary and totals of the number of states with specific regulations. Any plan view capable of accommodating a person at least as tall as an adult woman in the 5th percentile if the overall seat configuration and design is such that the position is likely to be used as a seating position while the vehicle is located, with the exception of additional seats such as temporary or folding folding seats.

Each bench seat or split seat of a passenger car, truck or multi-purpose passenger vehicle with a total weight of less than 10,000 pounds and hip space greater than 50 inches (measured in accordance with SAE J1100(a)) shall have no less than three designated seating positions, unless the design of the seat or vehicle is such that the central position cannot be used for seating. It takes a close eye to spot these seats in the grainy video like BedRyders – here`s an equivalent unit up close – and most commentators have run with the idea that the driver is clearly breaking the law and endangering his children. This second part deserves a debate. They look young, there is no sliding rear window through which they could communicate with the driver, and of course, an exposed folding seat is not as safe as the cabin. In fact, folding seats are located in the so-called deformation zone, which occurs during a major collision. However, crash data doesn`t make it clear that these seats are dangerous, Felrice said. It turned out that the company was featured on Shark Tank in 2015, which seemed to be the highlight of the company`s success. And surprisingly, BedRyder meets all U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards. Yes, it`s legal in all 50 states. According to the current rules, folding seats must meet the same requirements as other car seats.

An exception is that folding seats can only be equipped with lap belts, while other outboard seats must have shoulder belt and three-point lap belt systems. Before going out of business last winter, BedRyder sold a simple $750 frame-to-seat combo bolted to the bottom of the bed in the form of folding seats on the Subaru BAT. You can be forgiven if you haven`t heard of the company yet. The decades-long futile saga to get it off the ground reached its climax with an unsuccessful appearance of Shark Tank in 2015. More importantly, the company`s founders, George Conway and Carey Hide, developed the product as a safer way for their children to experience their memories of dangerous driving in the back of pickup trucks. Thus, the BedRyder meets all relevant U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards; It`s legal in all 50 states, including those that typically ban passengers in a pickup bed outside of farm work or parades. It`s a threat that every parent has made at least once: if you don`t whistle there, I`ll let you go home to the roof. A viral video earlier this month appeared to show a van driver in Kansas keeping his promise while driving down the highway with two young children strapped to rear-facing car seats in their bed, wind and street noise blissfully drowning out their complaints not to stop at McDonald`s.

A bit shocking, yes, but closer inspection reveals that these are no ordinary car seats, and the whole scene is indeed completely legal. The terms „auxiliary seat”, „temporary jump” and „folding jump” are not defined in the Agency`s rules. In a letter dated 28. In April 1971, Mr. Keitaro Nakajima of the Toyota Motor Company announced that it considered that the „folding seat” used in section 571.3 „applies only to the type of seat used from time to time in vehicles such as taxis and limousines to accommodate an excessive number of passengers for a short period of time.” An examination of the photographs showing the side-facing folding seats in the vehicle that is the subject of your letter shows that these seats meet this definition. The centre plans to ask the government to improve all standards for seats, require stronger locking mechanisms and more rigid seat backs. But Felrice, personal feelings aside, said the data doesn`t show a clear safety issue requiring additional federal regulations. You should also be aware that there are legal considerations that affect the installation of your folding seats in new and used vehicles. Section 108(a)(2)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act states: „No manufacturer, dealer, dealer or repairer of motor vehicles shall knowingly be taken out of service. any device or structural element installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in accordance with an applicable federal motor vehicle safety standard … This section requires automobile manufacturers, dealers, dealers or repairers (i.e., any person who presents himself or herself to the public for remuneration, such as in the case of the repair of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment) to ensure that the addition of the device does not affect the compliance of a component or design of a vehicle with applicable federal safety standards. For example, the commercial enterprise must ensure that the addition of the folding seat does not compromise the safety of existing seats or occupant protection systems on the vehicle. Section 109 of the Act imposes a maximum civil penalty of $1,000 per violation of $108.

This is a response to your letter requesting seating information. In particular, ask several questions about a pair of side-facing folding rear seats that appear in the photos attached to your letter. The photographs show a sport utility vehicle or van with bucket seats for the driver and front passenger, front-folding rear seats for rear passengers, and side-facing folding seats in the cargo area. The side-facing seats appear to be hinged at the top of each wheel arch, so that, when folded, they partially cover the rearmost side windows. In use, the seat is supported by legs that unfold when extended. Where do you stand? Is this an acceptable decision on the part of parents/adults? Should the seats only be used on surface roads? Shouldn`t they be legal at all? „If you get hit by a big truck, you could be crushed like a pancake,” said Russell Shew, a vehicle safety researcher at the center. „The likelihood of injury is very high. These are the least safe seats in a car.

Instead of indicating that the seats are safe, the few deaths could show that adults with children drive more carefully, Felrice noted. Of course, station wagons are also tiny fractions of all cars, and third seats are rarely used. Currently, there are no federal motor vehicle safety standards that apply directly to a removable folding seat sold directly to a consumer. Federal seating standards generally apply only to new, finished motor vehicles and not to equipment such as a removable folding seat. However, as a manufacturer of automotive equipment, you are subject to the requirements of §§ 151-159 of the Safety Act on the recall and disposal of products with defects related to the safety of motor vehicles. I have attached a fact sheet in which these responsibilities are briefly described. In the event that you or NHTSA determine that your folding seats have a safety-related defect, you are responsible for notifying purchasers of the defective equipment and resolving the problem free of charge. Of course, security is a legitimate concern with this setup. For the purposes of this particular video, Kansas law states that anyone over the age of 14 can drive anywhere in the back of a pickup truck, whether properly secured or not. What if they are under 14? It`s always „technically” legal as long as there are reasonable restrictions. If you intend to put your children on a jump seat, you need to drive more carefully. And Felrice advises children not to use the folding seat if their head protrudes beyond the top of the seat.

In summary, folding seats sold to motor vehicle owners as aftermarket equipment are not subject to any federal motor vehicle safety standards. The seat may be subject to federal standards for seat performance and occupant impact and flammability protection if it is installed in new vehicles prior to the first sale of the vehicle. Commercial enterprises are prohibited from installing folding seats if the result renders the required safety components or constructions ineffective in complying with federal safety standards. However, individual owners do not fall under paragraph 108(a)(2)(a) and may install the folding seat themselves in their vehicle, regardless of the prohibition of ineffectiveness in the Safety Act. As a reminder, as an equipment manufacturer, you would be obliged to recall and remedy seats with a defect related to the safety of the vehicle, even if the seats were installed by the owner of the vehicle himself. Therefore, data on the total number of fatalities are not particularly relevant to determining whether seats are safe when occupied. Any violation of this „rendered ineffective” prohibition would expose the offender to a potential civil penalty. However, since Standards Nos. 207, 208 and 210 do not apply to these seats, their installation would ensure that the vehicle complies with No.