DOT HS 811 768 November 2013 Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection and Motorcycle Laws Eleventh Edition Current as of April 1, 2012 This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... iii Key Provisions Chart of State Occupant Protection Laws ............................... v Key Provisions Chart of State Motorcycle Safety Laws .................................... x ALABAMA ............................................................................................................. 1 ALASKA ................................................................................................................. 4 ARIZONA .............................................................................................................. 7 ARKANSAS ......................................................................................................... 10 CALIFORNIA ..................................................................................................... 13 COLORADO ........................................................................................................ 17 CONNECTICUT ................................................................................................. 20 DELAWARE ........................................................................................................ 23 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA .............................................................................. 26 FLORIDA ............................................................................................................. 29 GEORGIA ............................................................................................................ 33 HAWAI’I .............................................................................................................. 36 IDAHO .................................................................................................................. 39 ILLINOIS ............................................................................................................. 41 INDIANA .............................................................................................................. 44 IOWA .................................................................................................................... 47 KANSAS ............................................................................................................... 50 KENTUCKY ........................................................................................................ 53 LOUISIANA ......................................................................................................... 55 MAINE ................................................................................................................. 59 MARYLAND ....................................................................................................... 63 MASSACHUSETTS ............................................................................................ 67 MICHIGAN ......................................................................................................... 70 MINNESOTA....................................................................................................... 73 MISSISSIPPI ....................................................................................................... 77 MISSOURI ........................................................................................................... 80 MONTANA .......................................................................................................... 83 NEBRASKA ......................................................................................................... 85 NEVADA .............................................................................................................. 88 NEW HAMPSHIRE ............................................................................................ 92 NEW JERSEY ..................................................................................................... 95 NEW MEXICO .................................................................................................... 99 NHTSA Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection Laws, 11th Edition i NEW YORK ....................................................................................................... 102 NORTH CAROLINA ........................................................................................ 106 NORTH DAKOTA ............................................................................................ 109 OHIO .................................................................................................................. 111 OKLAHOMA ..................................................................................................... 115 OREGON ........................................................................................................... 118 PENNSYLVANIA ............................................................................................. 122 PUERTO RICO ................................................................................................. 125 RHODE ISLAND .............................................................................................. 127 SOUTH CAROLINA ........................................................................................ 130 SOUTH DAKOTA ............................................................................................. 133 TENNESSEE ...................................................................................................... 136 TEXAS ................................................................................................................ 140 UTAH .................................................................................................................. 143 VERMONT ........................................................................................................ 146 VIRGINIA .......................................................................................................... 149 WASHINGTON ................................................................................................. 153 WEST VIRGINIA ............................................................................................. 156 WISCONSIN ...................................................................................................... 159 WYOMING ........................................................................................................ 163 NHTSA Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection Laws, 11th Edition ii INTRODUCTION The National Highway Traffic Safety State fines for first time violations of seat belt Administration is responsible for reducing motor use laws vary from $5 to $250. Most States vehicle-related fatalities and injuries on our permit fines of up to $25. Nation’s highways. Research has shown that effective State and local traffic safety laws play Primary versus Secondary Seat Belt Laws: an important role in helping to reduce motor "Primary" seat belt enforcement means that a vehicle crashes. law enforcement officer has the authority to issue a citation for a failure to wear a seat belt This publication provides summary charts of the based solely on probable cause of such violation. key provisions of State occupant protection laws Note: “Primary” seat belt laws are sometimes and motorcycle laws, and detailed lists of these referred to as “standard” laws. "Secondary" laws in every State. Such laws include requiring enforcement means that such officers are only the use of (1) seat belts, (2) child passenger authorized to enforce a violation of the seat belt restraint devices, and (3) motorcycle or bicycle use law after they have first stopped a driver for helmets. Also included are laws concerning age some other law violation. restrictions for motorcycle passengers and laws that prohibit riding in the bed of a pickup truck. A National Occupant Protection Use Survey Except as noted, the status of the State laws (NOPUS), conducted in June 2011, found that reported is as of April 1, 2012. the average seat belt use rates in States with primary enforcement laws were 11 percentage OVERVIEW points higher than in States without primary enforcement laws. (On average, seat belt use Required Use of Seat Belts: was 87% in primary law States versus 76% in All States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto States without primary enforcement.) Rico have mandatory motor vehicle seat belt laws of some kind. New Hampshire is the only 15 Passenger Vans: State that does not require adults age 18 and Recently some States have begun addressing the older to wear seat belts. use of seat belts in passenger vans. In some States, this vehicle occupant protection is State seat belt use laws vary in terms