New Jersey Seat Belt Law

New Jersey seat belt law is meant to keep passengers and drivers safe. If you do not follow these New Jersey seat belt regulations, especially the child seat belt laws, you could face fines and points on your license. As a driver in this state, it is important to know the law.

State Law Statute

New Jersey seat belt law is a primary law. This means that you can be pulled over and ticketed for not using a seat belt as the law demands. In some other states, seat belt laws are secondary, which means you cannot be pulled over the for the offense – you can only be ticketed if you were pulled over for another reason. New Jersey’s seal belt law became primary in 1999.

Fines for not Wearing a Seat Belt

In New Jersey, the maximum fine you can receive for not using a seat belt is $20 on the first offense. This can add up quickly if you have multiple offenses or if you have multiple people in your vehicle not using a safety restraint. Keep in mind that if you were not wearing a seat belt, it can also decrease the amount of money you are awarded if you were injured in an accident someone else caused.

Who is Required to Wear a Seat Belt?

New Jersey seat belt law is very specific about who must use some kind of safety restraint. First and foremost, anyone sitting in the front of the vehicle – driver and passengers – must use a seat belt. As driver, it is your responsibility to ensure they are using them. Even adults must your seat belts in the front seat.

Cases with children are a bit different. All children under the age of 18 are required to use a seat belt, no matter where they are sitting. If the child is under the age of 8, he or she must be in a car seat or a child booster seat. The exception to this rule is if the child weighs more than 80 pounds – then he or she must use a regular seat belt as older children do.

Child Seat Info

Studies show that using a seat belt dramatically decreases the number of injuries that occur during a motor vehicle accident. With children, it is your responsibility to ensure that all passengers under the age of 18 are using a safety restraint, even if they don’t want to. New Jersey child seat belt laws are very specific.

Again, all children under the age of 18 must be wearing a seat belt, and those under the age of 8 (if weighing less than 80 pounds) must also be using a child safety seat or child booster seat. If you are unsure, the New Jersey MVC or your local hospital can show you how to install and use these systems.

Reasons for Using

Over the past ten years, over 2,000 unbuckled drivers died in car accidents in the state of New Jersey. Of those 2,000, more than 700 were front-seat drivers or passengers who were thrown from the vehicle during the accident. Set belts are proven to help keep you safe.

Remember, even if you aren’t concerned about your own safety, the New Jersey seat belt law helps to protect others on the scene as well. During a motor vehicle accident, EMTs, firefighters, and police officers are on the scene to help, and because of fuel and fire, these scenes are often dangerous. By wearing a seat belt, you’re decreasing the chances that you have injuries, meaning that the scene can be cleared much faster.

Types of Seat Belts

In most vehicles, you’ll find three-point seat belt systems. This kind of seat belt has a shoulder strap and a lap strap and is much safer than the lap strap alone, which is found in the middle seat in many older vehicles. Currently, new models are also being tested. These harness-like safety restraint systems do not currently come standard in typical vehicles, but might be used in the future to increase safety.

How to Use with Children

Using a child safety belt isn’t enough – you also have to use it correctly. Keep in mind whenever you buckle in your child that the seat belt was made for an adult. You should adjust the straps to make sure that the safety restraint for the child is snug and properly aligned over the shoulder. Never allow a child passenger to move the shoulder restraint behind them. This is not safe and could result in a ticket.

If the child is having problems with the seat belt, chances are that he or she could benefit from using a booster seat. This child safety belt helper can put the minor in the right position for using the adult seat belt. Under New Jersey seat belt law, the child no longer has to use the boost seat after the age of 8, but as a parent, consider using this seat until the child is at least 80 pounds to reduce the chance of injuries.

With younger children, a car seat is necessarily. There are both backward-facing and forward-facing car seats, and both have certain advantages depending on the child’s age and size. No matter what, these should be used in the back seat only, and in the middle position whenever possible. Consult the direction to learn how your car seat should be installed and consider contacting the local hospital or Planned Parenthood center for help if you are confused. Remember, seat belts keep children and adults safe on New Jersey’s roads. Make sure you’re using them so that in the case of an accident, everyone can walk away uninjured.