When Did Seat Belt Laws Take Effect in California?
Wearing seat belts in California became mandatory on January 1, 1986. California Law Enforcement Officers were first given the power to pull people over and ticket them for not wearing seat belts in 1993.
California is a state known for some of the worst driving conditions in the U.S. Packed lanes and reckless motorists make for hazardous driving at any time of the day. Seat belts are the one proven way to protect yourself if you are struck by a careless driver.
Since California drivers and their passengers have been required to wear seat belts, accident victims have suffered fewer severe injuries and have had a better chance of surviving a crash.
California’s Seat Belt Laws
As of 1986, all drivers and their passengers in California must wear seat belts. That excludes children who must be restrained in child seats or booster seats.
Vehicle Code 27315 VC. says that a driver may not operate a vehicle until the driver and all passengers 16 years old or older are properly restrained by a safety belt. The code goes on to explain:
“For purposes of this section the phrase, “properly restrained by a safety belt” means that the lower (lap) portion of the belt crosses the hips or upper thighs of the occupant and the upper (shoulder) portion of the belt, if present, crosses the chest in front of the occupant.”
According to the California DMV’s Driver Handbook, children under 8 years old, or who are less than 4 feet 9 inches tall, must be properly secured in a federally-approved child passenger restraint system.
How much are California Seat Belt Fines?
At first California police and California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers could only cite violators if they were already pulling someone over for another violation, such as speeding. In 1993, the law changed, giving officers the right to pull people over simply for not having a seat belt on. At that time, they were allowed to issue a 22-dollar ticket.
These days a ticket for not wearing a seat belt starts at $20, but the fine you pay will be much more once additional fees are added in. A repeat California seat belt law offender will be charged a fine starting at $50.
California Accident Dangers When Not Wearing a Seat Belt
Seat belts save thousands of lives each year. Safe Rides 4 Kids reports that wearing a seat belt doubles the survival rate for accident victims.
In 2021, California transportation officials recorded 12,797 traffic accidents involving injury. Those accidents led to 334 deaths. Of those accidents involving occupants being ejected or partially ejected from vehicles (often because they weren’t wearing seat belts) 83 tragic fatalities resulted.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that around 97.2% of California drivers used seat belts in 2021. That was up over a full percent from 2019 figures. (2020 percentages were not calculated).
A word for California car accident victims…
Even with a seat belt on, you can be struck by a careless driver and suffer traumatic injuries. The costs for weeks of medical care and physical therapy can be enormous. An at-fault driver should be helping you with these expenses.
You can find out more about the benefits California car accident victims and their families have access to. Check out Maison Law’s page on California Car Accidents.
