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The Texas Motor Vehicle Authority ensures that vehicles registered in the state undergo an annual inspection, and among the many things in the inspection checklist are seat belts. Every year the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has a “Click It or Ticket” Campaign, and November 2020 marked its 18th anniversary of encouraging compliance with Texas seat belt laws. Since 2002, the campaign that urges people to buckle up has saved 6,234 lives, and currently, 91% of Texans always wear their seatbelts.
According to TxDOT, wearing a seat belt reduces death risk in case of a car crash by 45% in passenger vehicles and by 60% in a pickup truck. With 14% of Texans admitting to driving under the influence, your safety on the road is compromised.
Since you cannot control other people’s actions, you should ensure that you reduce the chances of injury by wearing a seat belt every time you are on the road, whether as a driver or a passenger. Therefore, let’s take you through the benefits of wearing a seat belt, the injuries they may cause, and seat belt safety tips.
Texas seat belt laws are defined in Texas Transp. Code § 545.413, SAFETY BELTS; OFFENSE. This section of Texas Transportation Code related to Texas seat belt laws reads as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if:
(1) the person:
(A) is at least 15 years of age;
(B) is riding in a passenger vehicle while the vehicle is being operated;
(C) is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt; and
(D) is not secured by a safety belt; or
(2) as the operator of a school bus equipped with a safety belt for the operator’s seat, the person is not secured by the safety belt.
(b) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) operates a passenger vehicle that is equipped with safety belts; and
(2) allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under Section 545.412(a) to ride in the vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety belt, provided the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt.
(b-1) A person commits an offense if the person allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under Section 545.412(a) to ride in a passenger van designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver, without securing the child individually by a safety belt, if the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt.
(c) A passenger vehicle or a seat in a passenger vehicle is considered to be equipped with a safety belt if the vehicle is required under Section 547.601 to be equipped with safety belts.
(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $50. An offense under Subsection (b) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $200.
(e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) the person possesses a written statement from a licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person should not wear a safety belt;
(2) the person presents to the court, not later than the 10th day after the date of the offense, a statement from a licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person should not wear a safety belt;
(3) the person is employed by the United States Postal Service and performing a duty for that agency that requires the operator to service postal boxes from a vehicle or that requires frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle;
(4) the person is engaged in the actual delivery of newspapers from a vehicle or is performing newspaper delivery duties that require frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle;
(5) the person is employed by a public or private utility company and is engaged in the reading of meters or performing a similar duty for that company requiring the operator to frequently enter into and exit from a vehicle;
(6) the person is operating a commercial vehicle registered as a farm vehicle under the provisions of Section 502.433 that does not have a gross weight, registered weight, or gross weight rating of 48,000 pounds or more; or
(7) the person is the operator of or a passenger in a vehicle used exclusively to transport solid waste and performing duties that require frequent entry into and exit from the vehicle.
(f) The department shall develop and implement an educational program to encourage the wearing of safety belts and to emphasize:
(1) the effectiveness of safety belts and other restraint devices in reducing the risk of harm to passengers in motor vehicles; and
(2) the requirements of this section and the penalty for noncompliance.
(g) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 204, Sec. 8.01.
(h) In this section, “passenger vehicle,” “safety belt,” and “secured” have the meanings assigned by Section 545.412.
(i) Repealed by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 663 (H.B. 1560), Sec. 5.68(13), eff. June 1, 2023.
(j) Notwithstanding Section 542.402(a), a municipality or county, at the end of the municipality’s or county’s fiscal year, shall send to the comptroller an amount equal to 50 percent of the fines collected by the municipality or the county for violations of Subsection (b) of this section. The comptroller shall deposit the amount received to the credit of the tertiary care fund for use by trauma centers.
Car crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States for those aged between 1 and 54. Seat belt use is among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of death; it decreases death risk by 45% among front-seat passengers and drivers. By restraining you, it prevents you from being ejected where you can meet death on the road.
A seat belt protects your body against serious injuries such as brain and spinal cord injuries that can dramatically change your life as well as the lives of your loved ones.
If you are involved in a car accident and you sustain injuries, the chances are that you will remain in hospital three to five times longer than if you had been wearing a seat belt when the crash occurred. As a result, you incur 2-7 times the medical expenses of victims who wear seat belts. However, it goes beyond reducing your hospital bills.
The fact that some people insist on not wearing seat belts in violation of Texas seat belt law puts a financial burden on every taxpayer. Insurance premiums increase, and so do taxes. Failing to wear seat belts imposes a tax burden of about $137 billion per year, an amount that would significantly decrease if everyone adhered to the Texas seat belt laws.
If you sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident that have resulted in paralysis, your paralysis attorney has a better chance of winning your case after showing that the injuries were not due to negligence on your part and ignoring Texas seat belt law. However, that is only possible if you were wearing a seat belt, especially since anyone riding in a Texas motor vehicle must wear a seat belt.
Texas seat belt laws requires the driver and all passengers in a vehicle to wear seat belts. Failure to comply can result in fines and court costs of up to $200. Additionally, children in Texas under the age of 8 must be secured in a child safety seat or booster seat if they are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches.
Under Texas seat belt laws, children under this height and age cannot sit in the front seat of a car. If a child is not properly restrained, the driver may face fines of up to $250, in addition to court costs. However, child passenger safety laws vary by state, so be sure to check the laws in the state you live or are passing through.
Seat belts can save your life, but you might not escape bruise-free. A three-point adult harness rests on the abdomen, shoulders, and chest. As the seat belt forces you to stay in your seat, the points of impact in these three areas can result in blunt force trauma in the:
You might experience pain in the abdominal area and surrounding regions after the accident due to the pressure applied as you are thrust forward in an accident. Getting an evaluation prevents severe complications later.
Your head could be pushed back and forth rapidly during a car accident, resulting in straining neck tendons and ligaments, thus causing whiplash. A neck injury attorney can ensure that you get the justice you deserve.
It is a direct point of impact that will affect the underlying organs such as the heart and lungs located in the sternum. A sore chest should encourage you to seek immediate medical attention. Other thoracic injuries include rib fractures, myocardial contusion, sternal fractures, and pulmonary contusion.
After sustaining injuries, the Texas statute of limitations directs you to file your injury case within two years from the date of injury. You or your loved ones do not have to worry about losing your case because you can’t find a competent lawyer.
Thompson Law has a team of skilled injury lawyers ready to come to you wherever you are. We are a small, family-run firm with a large pool of resources; we personally handle all cases and establish close working relationships with our clients.
At Thompson Law, we only win if you do; therefore, you don’t owe us a penny until we have settled your injury case. We offer free consultations and free case reviews, so if you feel that you or your loved ones deserve your day in court, we are here for you.
Contact us today using our web form, on the phone at (844) 308-8180, on our Facebook page, on our Instagram page, or via whatever means you prefer. We are available 24/7 to listen to you and will assign you a lawyer within less than 15 minutes.
Thompson Law receives an attorney fee and you pay no legal fees as our client unless we pay you. Thompson Law has 350 years of combined experience in legal representation and has won over $1.8 billion dollars in cash settlements for our clients. We master the art of managing client cases with empathy, compassion, respect and, of course, prodigious skill. Contact us today for a free, risk-free consultation to discuss your accident and your options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an auto accident. If you have been injured in an accident, call now to get the help you need.
