Ohio’s Safety Belt Law

Ohio’s safety belt law was enacted in March 1986 and revised in November 1992. The law requires front-seat passengers of cars, vans, pickup and delivery trucks, taxicabs, commercial trucks and tractor-trailers, and buses with safety belts installed to wear them when these vehicles are driven on public roadways. For drivers under 18, the law requires you and all vehicle occupants to wear safety belts.

Drivers who violate the law are fined $30, while front-seat passengers are fined $20.

Exempt from compliance are children already covered by the child safety restraint law; persons with medically-certified physical impairments; persons operating vehicles to deliver the mail or newspapers for home delivery; and persons in vehicles manufactured prior to 1966. Persons in vehicles equipped with airbags are not exempt from this law.

Law enforcement officials are prohibited from stopping a vehicle solely to enforce Ohio’s safety belt law. Citations can only be issued as a secondary action to another suspected offense. A violation of this law does not result in the assessment of points to an individual’s driving record.

Evidence regarding the proper use of safety belts is admissible against certain parties in a claim for damages for the injury or death of the occupant of the vehicle.

The move for primary enforcement in Ohio

Over the years, legislation continues to be introduced that would mandate the failure to wear seat belts a primary traffic offense in Ohio, making it legal for law enforcement officers to stop vehicles any time they observed unbuckled drivers or passengers. According to a 2002 NHTSA safety belt use study (www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2003/809-587.pdf), belt use in primary states was 11% higher than in secondary use states. Currently, 22 states have primary safety belt laws in effect.

Ohio safety belt usage rates

• The usage rate was 43.5% in 1986
• In 2002, the usage rate was 70.3%, slightly higher than 2001’s 66.9% rate
• Usage rates for drivers (72%) are higher than those of passengers (66%)
• Female occupants have higher usage rates (76%) than male occupants (65%)
• Usage rates for pickup trucks (59%) are much lower than those of passenger cars (72%), minivans (74%) and SUVs (72%)
• For drivers, there appears to be a steady increase in usage as age increases
• For passengers, usage is highest for the 5–14 age group. However, the 15–25 age group exhibits the lowest usage rate of all, while having the highest injury rates in traffic crashes.

The 2003 US safety belt usage rate was 79%, up from 2002’s rate of 75% and 2001’s rate of 73%.

For Ohio regional usage rate estimates, visit www.highwaysafetyoffice.ohio.gov/seatbeltsurvey.pdf

Note: For passenger cars, minivans and SUVs. Pickups included in usage rates beginning in 1998.

Source: Ohio Department of Public Safety