As an emergency medicine doctor, the Dr. Lawyer is very experienced in treating the severe injuries that can occur when an unrestrained passenger is involved in a car accident. And, as an Arizona personal injury attorney, the Dr. Lawyer has handled numerous cases involving clients who unfortunately did not buckle up before driving their vehicles. Many people in Arizona are not aware of the state's seatbelt laws and the serious consequences of not wearing one. In this blog post, we will discuss Arizona's seatbelt laws and just how important wearing a seatbelt is. Whether you were wearing a seatbelt in your accident or not, The Dr. Lawyer Law Group can still help you recover maximum compensation for your injuries.
Arizona's Seatbelt Laws
In Arizona, A.R.S. § 28-909(A) requires drivers and front-seat passengers to wear seatbelts. This law applies to all types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. It does not matter if you are just going down the street– the law requires that seatbelts be worn at all times while the vehicle is in motion.
Arizona's seatbelt laws (A.R.S. § 28-909(B)) also require children under the age of sixteen to wear a seatbelt, regardless of what seat in the vehicle they are riding in. Again, the distance you are driving does not matter. So long as the car is in motion, seatbelts must be worn!
Think you can get out of a ticket because you are in an autonomous vehicle that is driving itself? Think again! Under A.R.S. § 28-909(H), a parent or other adult driving with a child under the age of sixteen in an AV can still be ticketed if that child is not wearing a seatbelt.
Can I Be Pulled Over for Not Wearing a Seatbelt in Arizona?
Arizona is known as a “secondary enforcement” state, which means that you cannot be pulled over simply for failing to use your seatbelt. This is codified in A.R.S. § 28-909(C), which states that law enforcement cannot pull you over just for failing to wear a seatbelt. Instead, the law enforcement officer must have “reasonable cause to believe there is another alleged violation of a motor vehicle law of this state.”
If I Get a Ticket for Not Wearing a Seatbelt, Will My Insurance Rates Go Up?
An insurer may not consider a civil traffic violation under A.R.S. § 28-909 “for the purposes of establishing rates for motor vehicle liability insurance or determining the insurability of the person.” This means that, pursuant to A.R.S. § 28-909(E), your insurance rate cannot go up just because you were ticketed for failing to wear a seatbelt. Of course, other traffic violations may be different.
Penalties for Violating Arizona's Seatbelt Laws
Under A.R.S. § 28-909(G), violating Arizona's seatbelt laws will result in a maximum civil penalty of $10 per violation in the car. However, the fines may be steeper if you fail to use a child’s booster seat for children who are required to be in one. But, that will be a topic for another blog post.
Importance of Wearing a Seatbelt
Wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself in a car accident. In the event of a collision, a seatbelt can help prevent you from being ejected from the vehicle or slamming into the windshield or dashboard. It can also help distribute the force of impact across your body, reducing the risk of serious injury or death.
Studies have shown that wearing a seatbelt can reduce the risk of serious injury or death for front-seat passengers in a car accident by up to 50%. Unfortunately, many people still choose not to wear seatbelts, either because they are unaware of the law or because they believe they are unnecessary.
Conclusion
Arizona's seatbelt laws are in place to protect you and your loved ones while traveling in a vehicle. Failure to comply with these laws can result in serious fines and points on your driving record, but more importantly, it can put your life at risk. As a Phoenix personal injury attorney and emergency room doctor, the Dr. Lawyer has seen the tragic consequences of car accidents, especially when passengers are unrestrained.
If you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, and even if you weren’t wearing a seatbelt, The Dr. Lawyer Law Group wants to help you get the most for your injuries. Failure to wear a seatbelt can impact your claim in many ways, and its important that you hire an experienced car accident lawyer like the Dr. Lawyer to help you enforce your legal rights.