Driving During Spring Break? Don't Forget to Buckle Up!

Safety Tips – Seat Belts and Safety Seats

Safety belts save lives. If you're in the front seat during a crash, wearing a safety belt improves your chance of survival by 50 percent. Wearing lap and shoulder belts (combined with air bags) is the most effective way to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in traffic collisions.
Buckle Up
Safety belts are most effective when used properly.

• Lap belts should fit snugly across the hips, not over the stomach.
• Shoulder belts go over the shoulder and across the center of the chest.
• Never tuck a shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back.

Here's the Law
Texas law now requires drivers and all passengers in vehicles to be secured by a safety belt. A safety belt violation can result in fines ranging from $25 to $50, plus court costs.
Any child under the age of 8 must be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat unless taller than 4 feet, nine inches. The fine is up to $25 for a first offense and $250 for a second subsequent offense.
The law becomes effective on Sept. 1, 2009, but tickets for this offense cannot be issued until June 1, 2010. Police officers are allowed to issue a warning before that date. However, the previous law remains in effect for now and requires children younger than 5 and less than 36 inches in height be in a child safety seat, and tickets can still be issued for this violation.





Ref:  http://www.txdot.gov/safety/tips/safety_belts.htm