According to Georgia’s seat belt laws, anyone in the front seat of a passenger vehicle must wear a seat belt. Minors in any seat must be secured with a seat belt or an age-appropriate safety or booster seat. These laws are in place to protect all vehicle occupants from danger.
Am I Required to Wear a Seat Belt If I Am Riding in the Back Seat?
Only back seat passengers under the age of 18 must wear a seat belt or be securely fastened in a safety or booster seat. While the law does not require back seat passengers 18 and older to wear seat belts, proper seat belt use is still recommended for safety reasons.
What Age Groups Must Always Wear a Seat Belt?
Any Georgia driver or passenger under the age of 18 is required by law to always wear a seat belt. Riders under the age of 8 who are not taller than 4 feet and 9 inches must be properly restrained and seated in an age-appropriate safety or booster seat. Seat belt laws for those under 18 apply whether sitting in the front or back seat of a passenger vehicle.
Drivers and passengers 18 and older only have to wear a seat belt when riding in the front seat of a passenger vehicle.
Does Georgia Law Require Seat Belts in All Passenger Vehicles?
Georgia law prohibits the sale of vehicles manufactured in 1964 or later if they lack seat belts. All vehicles manufactured after that date and sold in Georgia must have seat belts for both the driver and front-seat passenger.
Can I Still Be Injured Even If I Was Wearing My Seat Belt?
Seat belts are designed and intended to reduce your likelihood of being severely injured or killed in a vehicle accident. While they cannot prevent all injuries, they do save lives and can prevent injuries from being more serious.
Unfortunately, it’s possible to suffer injuries while wearing a seat belt. Seat belts don’t protect every part of your body. For instance, you can still fracture your limbs even if you’re wearing a seat belt. You could also still experience head or neck injuries, as the combination of restraint and a sudden impact or abrupt stop can cause whiplash.
Some injuries may even be caused by seat belts themselves. For example, seat belts may cause abrasions and bruising to the neck, chest, shoulder, and abdomen. In some extreme cases, the force of impact may be enough to cause more serious internal injuries, with pregnant individuals being particularly at risk.
Although these injuries can be painful and require medical treatment, seat belts generally serve a vital purpose by preventing many severe injuries and fatalities – especially ones that come with ejection from a vehicle. It’s still safer to wear a seat belt than not to wear one.
What Are the Penalties in Georgia for Not Wearing a Seat Belt?
Failure to wear a seat belt is not a criminal offense under Georgia law. Instead, it’s treated as a moving violation punishable by a fine of up to $15. If a minor age 8 or older fails to wear a seat belt, the driver will be fined up to $25 and found guilty of failure to secure a seat belt on a minor. Failure to properly secure a child under the age of 8 is punishable by a fine of up to $50 the first time and $100.00 the second time.
Are There Any Exceptions to the Georgia Passenger Vehicle Seat Belt Laws?
The Georgia seat belt laws that generally apply to drivers and front seat passengers do have some exceptions. The laws do not apply to:
- Delivery drivers who make frequent stops and operate at speeds no higher than 15 miles per hour
- Individuals with written proof of medical conditions that prevent seat belt use
- Drivers operating vehicles in reverse
- Passenger vehicles with model years before 1965
- Rural United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers
- Passenger vehicles actively performing emergency services
- Newspaper delivery vehicles
- Vehicles not required by federal law to have seat belts
While seat belts are not required by law in these circumstances, they’re still highly recommended for safety purposes.
Would I Still Have a Claim Against the Other Driver If I Was Not Wearing a Seat Belt in a Crash?
Failure to wear a seat belt cannot contribute to, cause, or prevent an accident. For this reason, Georgia law does not recognize failure to wear a seat belt as evidence of negligence, even if the police issue a citation at the accident scene. This means that if another driver hits you and you suffer injuries as a result, you can still file a car accident claim even if you weren’t wearing a seat belt.
However, it’s important to note that this may not stop the other driver’s insurance company from trying to use this fact against you and deny you the compensation you are owed. A Georgia car accident lawyer can help ensure that your rights are protected.
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence, you may be facing severe physical injuries, substantial medical bills, and time away from your job while you recover. A Georgia car accident attorney can help you pursue compensation for your losses and shoulder the legal burden while you focus on your health. Contact the team at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., today for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help fight for the justice you deserve.
