Along with other laws, Texas puts into law today one of the toughest primary seatbelt laws in the nation today. Under the law all passengers; front seat and back must be buckled up or the driver faces stiff penalties.
The law also requires that any child under age 8 be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat, unless the child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Additionally, the law now allows fines collected for these violations to be used by TxDot to purchase safety seats for families that cannot afford them.
The law also requires that any child under age 8 be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat, unless the child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Additionally, the law now allows fines collected for these violations to be used by TxDot to purchase safety seats for families that cannot afford them.
Statewide in 2008, 183 back-seat passengers who were not wearing seat belts died in car wrecks, and 4,046 were injured, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. This points to how short sighted some states are in enacting their own primary seatbelt laws. Here in Florida it’s front seat passengers only, yet we hear about deaths from being ejected from vehicles all the time. It is usually true that compromises have to be made to get bills passed, but compromise=needless death, something lawmakers don’t seem to get. We applaud Texas for the courage in making the law for all passengers.
Anyone who wants an up-to-date list of state seatbelt laws can use the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s interactive map and comprehensive list here
Alabama
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 12/09/99
Who is covered:
15+ years in front seat
Alaska
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 05/01/06
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Arizona
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
5+ years in front seat; 5 through 15 in all seats
Arkansas
Primary enforcement:
yes, effective 06/30/09
Who is covered:
15+ years in front seat
California
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 01/01/93
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Colorado
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
Connecticut
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
7+ years in front seat
Delaware
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 06/30/03
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
District of Columbia
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 10/01/97
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Florida
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 6/30/09
Who is covered:
6+ years in front seat; 6 through 17 years in all seats
Georgia
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 07/01/96
Who is covered:
6 through 17 years in all seats; 18+ years in front seat
Hawaii
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
8 through 17 years in all seats; 18+ years in front seat
Idaho
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
7+ years in all seats
Illinois
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 07/03/03
Who is covered:
16+ in front seat; 18 and younger in all seats if driver is younger than 18 years
Indiana
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 07/01/98
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Iowa
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
11+ years in front seat
Kansas
Primary enforcement:
no (yes for children <18; effective 07/01/07)
Who is covered:
14 through 17 in all seats; 18+ in front seat
Kentucky
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 07/20/06
Who is covered:
6 and younger and more than 50 inches in all seats; 7+ in all seats
Louisiana
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 09/01/95
Who is covered:
13+ years in all seats
Maine
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 09/20/07
Who is covered:
18+ years in all seats
Maryland
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 10/01/97
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
Massachusetts
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
13+ years in all seats
Michigan
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 04/01/00
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
Minnesota
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 06/09/09
Who is covered:
7 and younger and more than 57 inches in all seats; 8+ in all seats
Mississippi
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 05/27/06
Who is covered:
7+ years in front seat
Missouri
Primary enforcement:
no (yes for children <16)
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
Montana
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
6+ years in all seats
Nebraska
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
18+ years in front seat
Nevada
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
6+ years in all seats
New Hampshire
Primary enforcement:
no law
Who is covered:
no law
New Jersey
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 05/01/00
Who is covered:
7 years and younger and more than 80 pounds; 8 through 17 in all seats; 18+ in front seat
New Mexico
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
18+ years in all seats
New York
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
North Carolina
Primary enforcement:
yes (secondary for rear seat occupants)
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
North Dakota
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
18+ years in front seat
Ohio
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
8 through 14 in all seats; 15+ years in front seat (effective 10/07/09)
Oklahoma
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 11/01/97
Who is covered:
13+ years in front seat
Oregon
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Pennsylvania
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
8 through 17 years in all seats; 18+ years in front seat
Rhode Island
Primary enforcement:
no (yes for children <18)
Who is covered:
18+ years in all seats
South Carolina
Primary enforcement:
yes; 12/09/056
Who is covered:
6+ years in front seat; 6+ years in rear seat with shoulder belt
South Dakota
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
18+ years in front seat
Tennessee
Primary enforcement:
yes; 07/01/04
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
Texas
Primary enforcement:
yes
Who is covered:
7 years and younger who are 57 inches or taller; 8+ years in all seats
Utah
Primary enforcement:
no (yes for children <19 years)
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Vermont
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
Virginia
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
16+ years in front seat
Washington
Primary enforcement:
yes; 07/01/02
Who is covered:
16+ years in all seats
West Virginia
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
8+ years in front seat; 8 through 17 years in all seats
Wisconsin
Primary enforcement:
yes; effective 06/30/09
Who is covered:
8+ years in all seats
Wyoming
Primary enforcement:
no
Who is covered:
9+ years in all seats
1Arkansas rewards belt use by reducing the fine for the primary violation by $10.
2This state assesses points for violations.
3In Georgia, the maximum fine is $25 if the child is 6-18 years.
4Drivers in Massachusetts may be fined $25 for violating the belt law themselves and $25 for each unrestrained passenger 12-16 years.
5New York only assesses points when the violation involves a child under 16.
6Police are prohibited in South Carolina from enforcing safety belt laws at checkpoints designed for that purpose. However, safety belt violations may be issued at license and registration checkpoints to drivers cited for other offenses.
7Drivers 18 and older in Tennessee who choose not to contest the citation pay a $10 fine by mail; $20 for drivers who are 16 and 17 years old.
8Wyoming rewards belt use by reducing the fine for the primary violation by $10.
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