In a car crash, seat belts can help save passengers in vehicles. This is why Arizona Seat Belt Laws have been passed to save drivers and passengers of all ages. Depending on the age of drivers and passengers, the Arizona Seat Belt Laws provide certain regulations for children, teen drivers, and adults.
In Arizona, wearing a seat belt is a secondary enforcement law, meaning an officer can only charge fines for not wearing a seat belt after being pulled over for a primary enforcement law, like speeding.
Regulations for Arizona Seat Belt Laws
Children Restraint Regulations
There are standards in place for child passenger restraint systems that have been set by the Arizona Department of Transportation. According to the height and weight of the child, they should be in the correct car seat or booster seat with the seat belts properly restraining the child in case of an accident.
Children under the age of 8 years old and under the height of 4’9’’ must be secured in an infant seat, convertible seat, or a forward-facing seat. If the child is not properly secured, the driver can be fined up to $175.
Teen Seat Belt Regulations
Teens under the age of 16 years old must wear a seat belt whether they sit in the front or the back of the vehicle. This means that all teens should be wearing their seat belts correctly over the lap and shoulder in order to protect them in case of a car accident.
The driver of the vehicle is responsible for the passengers below the age of 16 to ensure they are wearing their seat belts. For each violation of passengers not wearing a seat belt, the driver must pay $10 per violation.
Adult Regulations
Seat belt laws in Arizona state that all front seat passengers must wear a seat belt, with no expectations. Wearing a seat belt in the front seat will save lives in case of an auto accident. However, Arizona law does not have any requirements for adults to wear seat belts in the back seats of motor vehicles. But as personal injury attorneys, we always suggest wearing a seat belt while in a vehicle to help reduce injuries when being involved in an Arizona car accident.
Arizona Car Accidents and Seat Belt Safety
Car safety features like airbags and seat belts are meant to work together in order to keep drivers and passengers safe in the event of a car accident. As we mentioned before, Arizona is a state where seat belts are secondary enforcement, so seat belt usage is around 63%, while in states where it’s a primary enforcement, seat belt usage is around 78%.
If a car gets into an accident where the driver or the passengers are not wearing their seat belts, they have a higher chance of being severely injured in that crash. When seat belts are being used, the airbags will hurt more than save car accident victims. Seat belts and airbags were made to be used together; seat belts hold the passengers in place when the vehicle is hit, and airbags protect the passengers from impact trauma.
If you are involved in a car accident where another driver is at fault, however, you or some passengers were not wearing a seat belt, the compensation for the injuries will be reduced. This can be used by the at-fault driver’s insurance company to contest that the injuries wouldn’t have been as severe. That is why our car accident attorneys recommend all passengers in the vehicle should wear a seat belt at all times.