Seatbelt rules in F1?

[Orso]

As I understand it the six point seat belts was mandatory in the cars 1970 but there were no rules to use them.
I am building a couple of cars from the 1969 season. What type of belts were in use then.

[steinietrabi]

Hope this helps a little bit...
Do you search for some special cars?

[steinietrabi]

Some more

[Orso]

Right now I've started on a couple of Lotus from the 1969 season an later I will have a couple from the 1967-68 seasons to built. So I need to find out when the crotch laps started to be used.

[vekkuli]

Wasn't J. Rindt "hanged" to his Belts in Lotii 72 by not using 6 point Belts at his fatal Accident?

[Orso]

Looking at pictures of Lotus cars I can't see any seat belts until the British GB 1968 where Jackie Oliver have them. Later in 1968 I see seat belts in the Andretti car as well but never in Hill's car.

[steinietrabi]

Wasn't J. Rindt "hanged" to his Belts in Lotii 72 by not using 6 point Belts at his fatal Accident?

Jochen Rindt was killed as he "submarined" in the chassis as he did not have all his belts connected and this was in 1970.

Excerpt from here (list of deaths corrected in later posts!):
https://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6927

"Jackie Stewart was the first F1 driver to wear seatbelts, as early as 1967, after his horrific crash at Spa in ´66 opened up his eyes about driver safety. It took years until they were mandatory, though. F1 in the late 60's and early 70's was extremely dangerous, as this list of deaths confirm:

1967 Lorenzo Bandini (I)
1967 Giacomo 'Geki' Ruso (I)
1967 Bob Andersen (GB)
1967 Georges Berger (B)
1967 Ian Raby (GB)
1968 Jim Clark (GB)
1968 Mike Spence (GB)
1968 Lodovico Scarfiotti (I)
1968 Jo Schlesser (F)
1969 Lucien Bianchi (B)
1969 Paul Hawkins (AUS)
1969 Moiss Solana (MEX)
1969 Gerhard Mitter (D)
1970 Bruce McLaren (NZ)
1970 Piers Courage (GB)
1970 Jochen Rindt (A)
1971 Ignazio Giunti (I)
1971 Pedro Rodriguez (MEX)
1971 Jo Siffert (CH)

That's 19 F1 drivers killed in crashes in 5 years. By 1971, 50% of the drivers on the starting grid of the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix would be killed in crashes. Imagine that happening today..."

Despite the breathtaking rate of development in Formula 1 and other racing series, it has taken a lot of time to understand that safety belts can save lives. Although helmets and overalls were stipulated by Formula 1's governing body, as far back as the early '60s, safety belts have only been compulsory features in a Formula 1 car since 1972.

https://www.atlasf1.com/news/safety.html

[steinietrabi]

Looking at pictures of Lotus cars I can't see any seat belts until the British GB 1968 where Jackie Oliver have them. Later in 1968 I see seat belts in the Andretti car as well but never in Hill's car.

Check this, Mexico 1968

[Orso]

It is rather confusing. I found a picture with Hill using belts at the 1968 US GP also. I wonder if the rules were different over there making use mandatory. I remember reading a note saying that European drivers was annoyed to have to use belts at the Indy 500.
Then there is conflicting data on when belts became mandatory.
I've seen one source saying that 6-point harness were mandatory in cars at the 1970 season but there were no rules saying that they had to be used.

Then there are lists with these remarks:
1968: Recommendations on seat harnesses
1972: 6-point harness

The 1972 note isn't very clear to me. Does it mean that the rule was that the cars must have it or that it must be used.
With the Rindt accident I tend to lean towards the second. If there wasn't mandatory to install the 6-point harness back in 1970 why would Chapman who really hunted every small unnecessary weight have it in the car?

[Orso]

As I made a comment of Indy 500 I had a look at the Lotus cars there. Already 1963 they had seat belts.