• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

(256) 536-0770   •   (800) 804-2502

info@law-injury.com

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
The Law Firm of Timberlake and League Home

Timberlake & League

We Help Injury Victims Get The Compensation They Deserve.

  • Practice Areas
    • Automobile Wrecks
    • Construction Accidents
    • Insurance Disputes
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Personal Injury
    • Product Defects
    • Slip & Falls
    • Work Related Accidents
    • Wrongful Death
  • Blog
  • FAQs
    • Video FAQs
      • Get to Know Our Attorneys
      • Client Testimonials
      • Personal Injury
      • Legal Questions
      • Legal Terms Explained
      • LawCall with WAAY 31
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • Our Process
    • Why Us
    • Community Involvement
  • Our Location
    • Albertville
    • Athens
    • Decatur
    • Fayetteville
    • Florence
    • Madison
    • Scottsboro
  • Newsletter
Contact Us

Alabama Child Restraint Laws

July 25, 2019 by Timberlake & League, P.C.

Buckle your seat belt! Following this timeless piece of advice is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and others riding in your car in the event of a crash. 

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to reduce the risk of serious injuries in motor vehicle wrecks. For adult passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45%. 

Seat Belts and the Law

Seat belt use is not just about making a choice for personal safety; it is also the law. 

Alabama Seat Belt Law to Know: Alabama Code § 32-5B-4 

What It Says:

This Alabama law is all about seat belts and who needs to wear them.

Who Needs a Seat Belt in Alabama?

  • Short answer: Everyone riding in a car needs a seat belt.
  • Front seat passengers: Alabama law requires people in the front seat to wear a properly fastened safety belt at all times when a car is moving. 
  • Rear seat passengers: Alabama law also requires back seat passengers to wear a properly fastened safety belt while an automobile is in motion. 
  • Children: Alabama law also requires children to wear the proper restraints (like a booster seat or car seat)

What happens if you break the Alabama seat belt law?

If you are not wearing your seat belt, then you could be stopped by law enforcement. What happens will depend on where you are sitting in the automobile.

  • Front-seat occupants without seat belts: The police can write you a ticket.
  • Rear seat occupants without seat belts: The police will only give you a ticket if you have done something else illegal.

Why Car Seats Are Essential

It is important to use special care when driving with infants and children in a car. Studies show that car seats and booster seats reduce the risk of death by 54% for toddlers and 71% for infants.  

Safety Belt and Child Restraint Laws in Alabama

Seat belts are important for older children and teens, as well. In 2017, 54% of 13 to 15-year-olds who died in car crashes were not wearing seat belts. 

Adults should set a good example by buckling up themselves. They should also make sure that any children riding along are properly secured in the best car seat, booster seat, or with a seat belt. 

What Kind of Restraint Does My Child Need?

Alabama child restraint laws require specific kinds of car or booster seats based on your child’s age and weight.

Here is what the Alabama booster seat law requires:

  • Children from birth to age 1 | weight of 20 pounds: infant-only car seat or a convertible seat used in the rear-facing position. 
  • Children ages 1 to 5 years old | 20 – 40 pounds: infant-only car seats or convertible seats must be used. These can be forward or rear-facing. 
  • Children ages 5 to 6 | 40 pounds: booster seats must be used.
  • Age 6 to 15: shoulder belts must be used. 

Seat Belts and Car Wrecks

What does it mean if you are in a motor vehicle crash and you weren’t wearing a seat belt?

According to Alabama Code § 32-5B-7, the fact that a person was not wearing a seat belt cannot be used against them as proof of negligence in a personal injury case.

In other words, an insurance company cannot deny responsibility for your injuries in a car crash just because you didn’t have on a seat belt.

If you have questions about seat belt use or appropriate child safety seats, you need to speak with a lawyer who understands these special rules. At Timberlake & League, P.C., our lawyers are experienced and knowledgeable about these issues. Contact us, we can help.

Category iconMotor Vehicle Accidents Tag iconCar

Super Lawyers Best Law Firms The National Trial Lawyers Law Call

Footer

The Law Firm of Timberlake and League Logo
  • Disclaimer
  • LawCall
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Recent Posts

  • Suing a Hospital for Wrongful Death
  • Back to School Safety Tips
  • How to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 Timberlake & League, P.C. All rights reserved.
Website by Move Digital Group and Active-8 Communications


Although we handle cases throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, our primary practice areas are in North Alabama and Southern Tennessee. We serve the following localities: Colbert County including Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals; DeKalb County including Fort Payne; Etowah County including Gadsden; Jackson County including Scottsboro; Lauderdale County including Florence; Lawrence County including Moulton; Limestone County including Athens; Madison County including Huntsville and Madison; Marshall County including Albertville, Boaz, and Guntersville; and Morgan County including Decatur and Hartselle. In Tennessee we serve Giles County including Pulaski; Lawrence County including Lawrenceburg; Lincoln County including Fayetteville; and Franklin County including Winchester.

No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.