Seatbelt Laws for Utah Teenagers

During the mad rush of lunch hour at Utah schools, teenagers have a tendency to pile into cars with little regard to seatbelt laws.

The friend with the car

Unless a teenager has a CDL license and owns a souped up short bus or they are borrowing their mom’s minivan, chances are they only have 3-4 extra seatbelts in their vehicle. Considering that NONE of their friends want to stay on campus for lunch, teenagers who are lucky enough to have a set of wheels will pile friends inside their cars, completely disregarding the seatbelt laws in the state of Utah.

Clown Car

As the lunch bell rings, those left on campus will witness the different and creative ways in which teen drivers will fit their friends into their vehicles. Some may sit on laps while others choose to lay across others in the backseat. There are those who have gone so far as to making the deadly mistake of letting passengers ride in the trunk. Although the filling and emptying of these clown cars may be amusing to watch, it is a dangerous and illegal choice for teen drivers to make.

Teenager drivers and seatbelt laws

For drivers 18 and younger who have had their license for less than 6 months, they are not permitted to have any passengers in their car besides immediate family members. Past the new driver 6 month grace period, passengers are allowed but must each have their own seatbelt. Violations of seatbelt laws will result in a $45 dollar fine for the first offense. If an accident occurs and there is serious injury or loss of life, teenager drivers may face more severe charges for not following seatbelt laws. For information on possible charges stemming from disobeying seatbelt laws and other negligent and reckless driving behavior, contact a juvenile defense attorney.