Are Drivers Liable if Their Passengers Aren't Wearing Seatbelts?

You are driving down the road and are pulled over by a police officer. You weren’t going over the speed limit or driving poorly, or anything else that could be ticketed. However, it is apparent that the officer noticed that the person sitting in the front passenger seat was not wearing their seatbelt. 

Is this something that can actually be ticketed? Many lawyers have been asked this very question because they know the laws of the road. An auto accident lawyer in St. George or elsewhere knows this type of law particularly well. Here are some points that dig deeper into the topic. 

The first thing to remember is that everyone who rides inside a vehicle should always wear their seatbelt—there should never be more passengers than seatbelts. If the driver of the vehicle is pulled over, it will depend on the age of each passenger when deciding who will receive the ticket. If the driver is the only person over the age of 16, then the driver will need to pay the ticket.

Now, if the person who was not wearing their seatbelt is 16 or older, the officer in charge of the citation can ticket them, rather than the driver. Apparently people don’t know any better until they reach the age of 16 years old. Either way, this is the law. If a person is caught without a seatbelt, they can receive a ticket of around $124.

Drivers are responsible for ensuring that anyone who is 15 or younger is wearing their seatbelt. Every auto accident lawyer in St. George and elsewhere has dealt with a case in which the passengers who were in the car accident were found without seatbelts. Most of these victims either sustained serious injuries or died.

Just about every auto accident lawyer in St. George or elsewhere would suggest that before the driver even puts the car in drive, they should require all passengers to buckle their seatbelt. This will save lives. This is the primary reason that police officers are on the look out for beltless drivers and passengers—not because they want to hand out tickets, but because they want to save lives. 

Accidents can happen at any moment, no matter how careful a person may drive their car. An auto accident lawyer in St. George or another location dislikes the cases where people have been killed or injured, but if for any reason something like this does take place, they are available to help.

Rhett Ahlander is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.