Seat Belt Laws and Safety Precautions in Washington
Most states in the US typically have strict laws surrounding seat belt use, and the state of Washington is no exception. In order to curb accidents that may result in major injuries or fatalities, Washington makes it the law to wear a seat belt or restraint whenever you’re in a moving automobile.
What are the Specifics of Washington’s Seat Belt Law?
In the state of Washington, anybody older than 8 or taller than 4’9” (whichever comes first) must wear their seat belt whenever they’re in a car. Any children younger than 8 or smaller than 4’9” must be secured in a booster seat or child safety restraint system, according to a law passed in 2007. Additionally, any child under 13 years old must be transported to the back seat if they are unable to be properly secured in front seat restraints.
It’s also important to note that Washington’s seat belt safety law is a primary seat belt law. That means that any law enforcement officer can pull you over and give you a ticket or citation solely for improper seat belt use. By contrast, a secondary seat belt law only allows officers to ticket for seat belt use only if the driver has committed a separate citable violation.
Older Vehicles and Seat Belt Usage
Depending on their age, older vehicles are, for the most part, still required to have seat belts and safety restraints. Any automobile manufactured after January 1, 1968 must be equipped with lap-type seat belts in permanent passenger seats and shoulder-harness safety restraints in the two front seat positions.
Additionally, if a seat in a vehicle has both lap and shoulder belts, you must use both when you’re on the road.
Penalties of Washington Seat Belt Law
Getting pulled over by an officer for improper use or failure to wear a seat belt comes with several penalties. Most likely, you’ll be given a Notice of Infraction and cited for the violation – that comes with a steep $124 fine.
Additionally, the Notice of Infraction will be recorded in your driver history. While it won’t be reported or seen by insurance companies pulling your driving record, it still counts as a violation on your record. Failure to take care of it properly can result in a license suspension, and multiple offenses may result in license revocation.
The only exceptions to Washington’s seat belt law are given to those who can provide written verification that they are unable to properly wear a seat belt for medical or health reasons.
