Frequently Asked Questions

(a) January 1, 1968, on a highway unless it is equipped with at least two lap-type safety belt assemblies for use in the front seating positions.

(b) January 1, 1970, on a highway, unless it is equipped with a lap-type safety belt assembly for each permanent seating position for passengers. This requirement does not apply to the rear seats of vehicles operated by a police department or sheriff’s office.

(c) January 1, 1970, unless it is equipped with at least two shoulder-harness-type safety belt assemblies for use in the front seating positions.

Rule of thumb: If your vehicle was originally equipped with safety belts, they must be in good working order and must be used.

(1) Being used in the course of farming or ranching; or

(2) Being driven in a parade authorized by a local authority.

(a) To a driver or passenger who possesses a written statement by a physician certifying that he is unable to wear a safety belt for medical or physical reasons;

(b) If the vehicle is not required by federal law to be equipped with safety belts;

(c) To an employee of the United States Postal Service while delivering mail in the rural areas of this state;

(d) If the vehicle is stopping frequently, the speed of that vehicle does not exceed 15 miles per hour between stops and the driver or passenger is frequently leaving the vehicle or delivering property from the vehicle; or

(e) To a passenger riding in a means of public transportation (except a taxi*), school bus or emergency vehicle. [*Taxi exemption was voided as of June 2003.]

However, if the passenger is an adult (18 years or older), that passenger will be issued a citation. If both the driver and adult passenger are not wearing safety belts, each of them will receive a citation.

2) Crash forces experienced by occupants are different

Buses are also a lower-risk form of travel and are more conspicuous. Lastly, buses are inherently and statistically safer than riding in family passenger vehicles. In 2001, passenger cars were involved in 47 percent of all traffic crashes; whereas school buses were involved in only .02 percent of all fatal traffic crashes. Children are injured more OUTSIDE of the bus (getting on and off) than inside the bus.

See the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's web site for a more detailed answer to this question.
 

1) meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS); look for labeling on the seat itself

2) is appropriate for the size and weight of the child; look for labeling on the seat itself. Different seats have different height and weight limits.

3) is installed in the vehicle per the car seat manufacturer's instructions. Refer to your vehicle owner's manual as well, the "Occupant Restraints" or "Child Seats" section.

*car seat = infant seat, forward-facing toddler seat, booster seat, specialized harness restraint system, or any device that is designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat or position children; this includes integrated child seats within the vehicle itself

The 'best' car seat for your child is the one that fits your child and fits your vehicle

1) Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?

2) Does the child sit with hips all the way back against the auto seat?

3) Is the lap belt on the top part of the thighs (not on the tummy)?

4) Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest (not on the neck)?

5) Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

• One person per belt
• Keep lap belts low and snug across the thighs (on the hip bones, not on soft vulnerable parts of the body)
• Do not place the shoulder portion of the safety belt behind your back or under the arm. This prevents the safety belt from working properly and could cause severe injuries
• Always use a seat belt, even if you have an air bag. Air bags are designed to work WITH the seat belt in protecting you
• Always replace a child's car seat if it has been involved in a collision, even a minor fender bender in the parking lot
• Child safety seats are found to reduce fatal injuries by 71% for infants (less than 1 year of age) and 54% for toddlers in passenger cars
• Lap and shoulder belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%