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Do backseat passengers have to wear seat belts?
My cousins are from Mobile, Alabama and while they were visiting us in Seattle, they weren’t wearing seat belts in the backseat because they said it wasn’t a legal requirement. Is this true? Do backseat passengers have to wear seat belts?
Shannon Fitzgerald · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
*Backseat passengers are legally required to wear seat belts only in some states.
Washington’s seat belt laws
require all passengers to wear seat belts. This is considered a primary law, meaning that law enforcement can pull you over specifically for not wearing a seat belt and give you a ticket solely for that reason. Alabama seat belt laws
have the same primary law for front seat passengers. While rear seat passengers are still required to wear a seat belt, it’s only enforced as a secondary law. What this means is that officers can’t pull a vehicle over solely because rear seat passengers weren’t wearing seat belts—they can only do so if there is another citable traffic offense, like speeding. Because seat belt laws vary by state, you’ll find that some states have even more relaxed stances on seat belts than Alabama.
New Hampshire seat belt laws
, for example, have neither a primary law nor a secondary law that requires passengers or drivers over 18 to wear a seat belt in the front or rear seats. Fortunately, Child Passenger Safety Laws enforce safety restraints for infants and children in all fifty states and D.C. And while adult seat belt safety laws vary, your cousins need to follow the laws in the state that they’re in, not the state they came from. Therefore, you were right to assume that your cousins should buckle up in the back.
Alongside seat belt safety, it’s important to make sure your car is financially protected on the road with quality
car insurance
. Since car insurance laws also vary from state to state, Jerry can help you find the right coverage you need and even lower your Seattle car insurance costs
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