If you’re hiring a stretch limo or party bus—for your own special occasion, or because you’re sending your child off to prom—one natural question is whether the vehicle should have seatbelts.
Close up image of a buckled seat belt
Passenger vehicles designed to seat more than 10 people, that have mainly seats that face sideways, aren’t required to be fitted with seat belts. Stretch limos, and some kinds of party bus, can fall into that category.
Smaller cars, like town cars, should have seat belts, and you may be legally required to wear them, depending on the State you’re in (more on that later). If your vehicle has seatbelts, we always recommend you put safety first and wear them.
Even when commercial vehicles aren’t legally required to have seatbelts, many safety measures are in place to protect you. Federal regulations set rules for transportation companies on financial responsibility, inspection and repair, driver qualifications, and how long drivers can be on the road.
At Luxor, your safety is our first priority, and we seek to exceed federal standards. We employ only full-time professional drivers, and we screen and train them carefully. We also maintain one of the youngest commercial fleets in New York. You can read more about our commitment to safety below, or view our fleet here.
Stretch Limos and Seat Belts
Federal regulations require most vehicles to be fitted with seat belts. That includes smaller vehicles, such as town cars, which you might hire from a limo company. One exception applies to “perimeter-seating buses”.
Technically, stretch limos count as buses if they seat more than 10 people, including the driver and a front seat passenger (if they seat eight in the back).
So a vehicle is a perimeter-seating bus if it (a) seats more than 10 people, and b) has seven or fewer seats facing forward behind the driver. So a stretch limo that has backward-facing and/or sideways-facing seats isn’t required to have seat belts.
How Luxor Ensures Safety
So is that the end of the story? Not at all. At Luxor, we go above and beyond to ensure your safety.
We have one of the youngest commercial vehicle fleets in New York City. That means our vehicles incorporate modern technology and reflect modern construction and safety standards. We also take exceptional care in maintaining our vehicles.
Luxor drivers are full-time employees—we don’t rely on contractors. So you can be sure that your driver has cleared has cleared multiple background checks and gets regular training in safe and defensive driving.
So When Do You Have to Wear a Seatbelt?
In the tri-state area, there’s a surprising amount of variation in seat belt laws.
In New York State, if a vehicle has seat belts, wearing one is generally mandatory. However, there are exceptions. In particular, seat belt use is not required in taxis or livery vehicles, according to the New York State DMV.
Connecticut’s Department of Transportation requires seat belts for drivers and front seat passengers, as well as children in rear seats aged between 4 and 16. So if you’re traveling in the back of a taxi or livery car, State law doesn’t require you to wear a seat belt.
If you’re traveling to or within New Jersey, the laws are stricter. If a vehicle is required to have seat belts, all taxi and livery passengers have to buckle up.
Even if don’t have to wear a seat belt, you should still put safety first and buckle up whenever you can.
To learn more, you can see our fleet here, or read about our options for group travel.