Seat Belts and Car Seats

New York State law requires seat belt use for all front-seat occupants. Over the past 25 years, New York's seat belt use rate has risen from 12% to over 75% today. Each and every year more than 200 lives are saved and over 1500 serious injuries prevented as a result of the increased use of seat belts. Still more lives could be saved if all New Yorkers use their seat belts for every trip. Some highlights of New York State occupant restraint law are:

• The driver and all front-seat passengers are required to wear seat belts, one person per belt. The driver and any front-seat passengers aged 16 or older can be fined up to $50 each if they fail to buckle up. If the violation involves a front-sear passenger under age 16, the driver can be fined from $25 to $100 and receive 3 driver license penalty points.
  
• Children under age 10 must wear seat belt m the back seat. Children under age four must be in safety seats that meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
  
• New York is a “primary enforcement” state. Your failure to wear a seat belt is grounds for a law enforcement officer to stop you.
  
• Drivers are responsible for making sure passengers aged 15 or younger comply with the seat belt law. Persons aged 16 or older are responsible for themselves. The law applies to out-of-state visitors as well as New York State residents.
  
• Seat belt use is not required in 1964 or older model vehicles, taxis, livery vehicles, emergency vehicles or by passengers in buses other than school buses (seat belt use may be required by the school district). Rural letter carriers are also exempt while they are delivering mail.

CHILDREN IN SEAT BELTS

Sear belts play a vital role in protecting your vehicle's occupants. Most children weighing 80 pounds or more can safely use lap/shoulder belts. They must be able to sit straight up against thee vehicle's seat back with their knees bent comfortably over the edge of the seat. The shoulder belt should rest snugly across the child’s chest and shoulder (collar bone), without touching the throat. The lap belt should fit low and tight across the upper thighs. If the seat belt does not fit properly, then your child needs a booster seat.

TIP: NEVER PUT THE CHILD'S SHOULDER BELT UNDER THE ARMS OR BEHIND THE BACK.

SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES

New York State law requires that large school buses manufactured after July 1, 1987, be equipped with seat belts. Children under the age of four riding on school buses must ride in federally certified child safety seats. School bus drivers are required to wear their seat belts. Each school district sets it own policy on seat belt use.

WHY YOU NEED TO WEAR A SEAT BELT

If worn properly, seat belts will absorb the force of a crash impact and hold you securely in place, reducing your risk of injury. Scat belts are designed to work with the wearer sitting upright. They should be comfortable and allow free movement until they are needed to protect you. A seat belt too loose or too tight cannot provide full protection. Lap belts should be snug across your hip bones and the shoulder belt should be low on your chest and shoulder, away from your face or neck. If not worn properly, seat belts could cause internal injuries in a crash.

TIP: DO NOT ALLOW YOUR SEAT BELT TO BECOME SLACK.

PREGNANT WOMEN

Pregnant women should always wear seat belts to protect both the expectant mother and her unborn child. Make sure the lap belt is low on the hips, under the unborn child and the shoulder belt is resting across the chest and shoulder.

MEDICAL EXEMPTION

If a physical condition inhibits the proper use of a seat belt, you may be exempt provided your physician certifies your condition and exemption in writing. Certification must be on the physicians letterhead and carried with you when you travel. Regardless of physical problems, a seat belt normally offers you the best protection.

AIR BAGS

Air bags provide an extra degree of protection against crash injuries. They are meant to work with seat belts, not replace them.

An air bag protects a front-seat occupant in a head-on crash by inflating upon impact and cushioning the occupant from colliding with the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield. The combination of seat belts and air bags offers maximum protection for motorists because they help the driver maintain control of the vehicle and help to avoid secondary collisions.

Air bags rapidly deploy from the steering wheel and/or dashboard. Most adults who are properly buckled up are safer in a vehicle with air bags, but the force of an air bag deploying may injure those who sit too close to it. You should sit with at least 10 inches between the center of your breastbone and the cover of your vehicle's air bag. Also, place your hands on the steering wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions to keep them out of the way in the event of air bag deployment.

AIR BAG SAFETY POINTS

• Children 12 and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat.
• Infants should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side air bag.
• Small children should ride in a rear seat in child safety seats approved for their age and size.
• Check your vehicle owner's manual and the instructions provided with your child safety seat for correct use information.
• Everyone should buckle up with both lap AND shoulder belts on every trip.
• Driver and front passenger seats should be moved as far back as practical, particularly for people of shorter stature.

TIP: NEVER PUT AN INFANT IN A REAR-FACING CHILD SAFETY SENT IN THE FRONT SENT OF A VEHICLE WITH A PASSENGER AIR BAG.

KNOW THE LAW

New York State law requires all motor vehicle passengers riding in the front seat, regardless of age, to use appropriate restraints. Passengers under age 4 must ride in federally-certified child safety seats. All children under age 16 must use approved safety seats or seat belts.

• Driver convicted of violations involving passengers under age 16 face fines up to $100 and 3 violation points on his/her driving record.
  
• Use only federally-certified child safety seats that are compatible with your vehicle and appropriate to your child's age, size, and weight.
  
• Follow the installation instructions that come with the child safety seat AND those that come with the vehicle owner’s manual. Remember that your child's safety depends upon you.
  
• Properly securing a child into the child safety seat AND properly securing the child safety seat with the vehicle seat belts are equally critical.
  
• Children are safest when properly restrained in the back seat.
  
• NEVER place a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with passenger airbags.
  
• NEVER put shoulder belts under a child's arms or behind his or her back.
  
• NEVER use a child safety seat that has been involved in a crash.
  
• Use a booster seat for a child who has outgrown a convertible child safety seat.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) maintains a registry of certified child passenger safety technicians, instructors, and seat belt check events in New York State

Source: Portions taken from New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee Seat Belt Law Brochure