{"id":3012,"date":"2017-09-19T13:39:09","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T20:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-personal-injury\/?page_id=3012"},"modified":"2024-11-26T16:24:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T23:24:09","slug":"arizona-seat-belt-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-personal-injury\/blog\/arizona-seat-belt-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona Seat Belt Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n

Arizona seat belt laws were designed to keep drivers and their passengers as safe as possible whenever operating a vehicle. Regardless of whether there are seat belt laws in your state or not, if you are in a vehicle, you should be wearing a seat belt. This simple act\u00a0can help to reduce the chances of injury or death.<\/p>\n

There are no Federal laws governing the use of seat belts, but instead each state has it’s own set of laws in regards to seat belts. There are two kinds of seat belt laws, primary and secondary enforcement. Arizona is a secondary enforcement state. To help our readers\u00a0understand these differences better, we will explain them more in-depth.<\/p>\n

Primary Enforcement Laws for Wearing Seat Belts<\/h4>\n

Primary enforcement seat belt laws allow an officer to pull a driver over if they have reason to believe the driver is not wearing a seat belt. They then subsequently have the authority to issue a ticket for not wearing your seat belt. This is the highest level of enforcement available to the state regarding the use of safety restraints.<\/p>\n

The traffic violation for not wearing a seat belt is a lesser fine than speeding, but can still be significant. In many states, if it is your first time being pulled over for a primary enforcement of wearing a seat belt, you may have the opportunity to take a safety with seat belts class and have the infraction removed from your record. If you have previously been pulled over for not wearing your seat belt, you will receive a ticket.<\/p>\n

Secondary Enforcement Laws for Wearing Seat Belts<\/h4>\n

Secondary enforcement gives police officers the authority to give you a ticket for not wearing a seat belt, but only if you were pulled over for another reason. This means that you will not get pulled over in Arizona for not wearing your seat belt, but if you are pulled over for any other traffic infraction and they see you are not wearing a seat belt, you will receive a ticket for it.<\/p>\n

State of Arizona Seat Belt Law<\/h4>\n

In Arizona, there are two main sections\u00a0to the seat belt law.<\/p>\n

1. Driver and passengers in the front seat must have the waist and chest strap properly fastened and in place if the vehicle is moving.<\/p>\n

Note: Arizona does not require passengers in the back seat to wear a seat belt by law, but it is always recommended to wear a seat belt no matter where you are sitting in a car.<\/p>\n

2. Anyone under the age of 16 must wear a seat belt while in a moving vehicle, no matter where they are seated.<\/p>\n

Note: If you are driving with a minor in the car and their seat belt is not fastened, you are responsible and can receive a ticket. Any adult sitting in the front seat without a seat belt will be responsible for themselves and receive their own ticket.<\/p>\n

Child Seat Requirements<\/h4>\n

Although Arizona is only a secondary enforcement state for seat belts, child car seat requirements are very strict. As a driver, you are responsible for the passengers in your car, including minors, even if they are not your own children. According to Arizona laws, any child under the age of five is required to be in a car seat no matter their height or weight.<\/p>\n

The DMV<\/a> gives the following requirements for children over the age of 5 and under the age of 8:<\/p>\n