Safety is not always a main concern with owners of classic cars, but this should not be overlooked. Many classic car owners want to keep their old car original as can be, which means if they were built before 1968 they likely do not have seat belts. For most classic cars built before 1950 it is usually not that difficult to add seat belts. Most state laws allow that if the car was built before the requirement of seat belts, they are not required now. Some states still require a child under 6 years of age to be restrained in a classic car, even if the adults do not need to be.
Newer cars have more safety design features than classic cars, including reinforced crumple zones. Old cars were built with all steel and if your car is unrestored, could be quite rusted out creating more safety concerns. Anti-lock brakes and air bags are other safety features that cannot be added to classic cars, but usually the brakes can be upgraded. Many old cars did not have disk brakes, which are an improvement over other older brake styles. There are kits to nearly change any brake setup to disk brakes. Glass can sometimes be another safety issue, and if your car is truly an old original the windshield may not have shatter resistant glass. No seat belts and non shatter proof glass can be a deadly combination.
Seat belts and safety issues in general are always debatable within the classic car community. Some classic car owners do not like the idea of adding non original parts, as they can be judged negatively in contests. There is a growing trend of owners that do care about safety more than originality, and many of these owners have a family and drive them around in their car, which likely shapes their decision. Classic cars owners usually drive their collectors very carefully, but that can never truly protect you. Whatever choice you make, make sure you look at all your choices and weigh them carefully.
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