Seat belt laws are divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary seat belt laws allow law enforcement officers to ticket a driver or passenger for not wearing a seat belt, without any other traffic offense taking place. Secondary seat belt laws state that law enforcement officers may issue a ticket for not wearing a seat belt only when there is another citable traffic infraction.
Specific laws vary greatly from state to state, depending on the age of the rider and in what seat he or she is sitting. This page covers seat belt laws for adults and young adults only. For requirements for infants, toddlers, and children, see GHSA's Child Passenger Safety Laws chart.
A PDF chart of state seat belt laws is available for download here.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on adult seat belt laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Being careful behind the wheel is always paramount, but during the current global public health crisis, road safety experts say it's more essential than ever.
Story by Tanya Mohn
March 29, 2020
Research from the Governors Highway Safety Association found fewer Americans are wearing seat belts when they're in the back seat. The study found in 2018 there were 803 deaths of rear seat occupants ages 8 and older who were not wearing seat belts. It said more than 400 would have survived if they had been using one.
Story by Jason Puhr
January 24, 2020
The leaders of several state departments of transportation urged automobile drivers and trucking companies to work together on safety improvements to help reduce traffic fatalities to zero or near zero, during a panel at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting Jan. 14.
Story by Jim Stinson
January 15, 2020
In 2018, 215 passenger vehicle deaths in Colorado involved unbuckled drivers and passengers. An estimated 70 of those lives could have been saved had the individual been wearing a seat belt. Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to prevent severe injury or death in a motor vehicle crash, yet Colorado, with a rate of only 88 percent, ranks behind the national average of 90 percent.
Seat belt use has risen to nearly 80% in South Dakota, increasing at a rate faster than the national average. South Dakota Office of Highway Safety Director Lee Axdahl speaks to the progress made and the work remaining.
June 28, 2019
Fewer people are buckling up in the backseat than in the front, an issue addressed by GHSA and Uber's "Make It Click" campaign. GHSA Communications Manager Madison Forker notes the need to wear a seat belt regardless of vehicle, trip or seat.
Story by Keith Laing
June 4, 2019
GHSA and ride-hailing company Uber have teamed up for a second year of the Make It Click campaign. The refreshed effort encourages passengers to buckle up in every seat and on every trip.
Story by Chris Galford
May 22, 2019
As states launch their annual high visibility enforcement period focused on seat belt use, Colorado is sharing GHSA and Uber's Make It Click campaign message to spread the word about buckling up in the back seat.
May 21, 2019
