Michigan vehicle crashes are a leading source of injury and death to individuals of all ages.
Michigan has a primary seat belt law, which means law enforcement can stop and ticket motorists solely for not being buckled up.
The law requires:
- Passengers 8-15 to buckle up in all seating positions
- Drivers and front seat passengers to be buckled up
Michigan’s child passenger safety law requires:
- Babies must face backwards until they are 1 year old and 20 pounds
- Children must be at least 1 year old and 20 pounds to ride in a forward facing car seat
- Children younger than age 4 to ride in a car seat in the rear seat if the vehicle has a rear seat. If all available rear seats are occupied by children under 4, then a child under 4 may ride in a car seat in the front seat. A child in a rear-facing car seat may only ride in the front seat if the airbag is turned off.
- Children to be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4-feet-9-inches tall. Children must ride in a car/booster seat until they reach the age requirement or the height requirement, whichever comes first.
The Office of Highway Safety Planning is a good web site to visit for more seat belt information.
Click on the following link: www.michigan.gov/ohsp