Seat Belt Tickets and Child Safety Restraint Tickets

Seat Belt and Child Safety Restraint Tickets

New York State requires the driver and all passengers to wear seatbelts in the car.  Fines for seat belt violations for adults (over the age of 16) are $50 plus surcharge with no points. Child safety violations, on the other hand, cost $100 along with 3 violation points.  All children under the age of 4 are required to be in a child safety seat.  All children under the age of 8 (until their 8^th birthday) are required to use a child safety restraint.

Child safety seats or restraint systems are determined by the child’s age, height and weight.  When selecting a child safety seat or restraint system, be sure that it meets the statutory requirements.

• Infant Seats—required for infants weighing approximately 22 pounds or less, and are 25 inches in length. This seat is placed in the back seat with the child facing the rear of the vehicle.
• Convertible Child Safety Seats—for infants and toddlers weighing about 40 pounds or less. The child should face the rear of the vehicle.  With convertible seats, you can arrange the seat so the child faces forward (once they can no longer face the rear comfortably).
• Booster Seats—are required for children who are 4 to 8 years old and have outgrown the toddler and convertible seats. These seats are perfect for children weighing between 40 and 80 pounds.
• Built-in child seats—though child seats come standard in some vehicle models and fold away on standard car seats, these are not intended for use with infants.

Any child safety restraint violation will result in a fine and 3 points if convicted. For more information and tips on child safety seats and restraints, click here.

If you’ve received a seat-belt ticket or child safety restraint ticket, we’re here to help.  Call (212) 227-9008 for free legal advice or email michaelblock.law@gmail.com for more information about how we can defend your traffic violations.