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Alabama driving lesson · The Driving Task

Seat belts and child restraints

A 3-minute lesson from the Alabama course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
The Driving Task
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
32, 81, 82

Alabama requires everyone in the vehicle to be buckled up, with extra rules for children. In a crash, belts keep you from hitting the inside of the car, and car seats keep children from becoming "flying missiles."

Know the rule

Alabama's safety belt law requires every occupant, regardless of age, to be restrained.

Handbook p. 32 ↗

Know the rule

For maximum effectiveness, draw the seat belt snugly across your hip bones.

Handbook p. 32 ↗

Know the rule

The child restraint law requires children through age 15 to be restrained. It covers front and back seats of cars, pickups, vans seating 10 or fewer, minivans and SUVs.

Handbook p. 32 ↗

Required restraint by stage

Required restraint by stage
RestraintUse until the child is at least
Rear-facing infant-only or convertible seat1 year of age or 20 pounds
Forward-facing convertible or forward-facing seat5 years of age or 40 pounds
Booster seat6 years of age
Seat belt15 years of age
Handbook p. 32 ↗
Child car seat installation steps
Restraint stages: rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seat, seat belt

Know the rule

Violators have points assessed against their driver record, in addition to a fine.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
30%

Share of fatal crash injuries caused by steering assemblies

Handbook p. 81 ↗
40%

Share of deaths from striking the windshield, windshield frame or instrument panel

Handbook p. 81 ↗

Second collision

When occupants strike the steering assembly, windshield, frame or instrument panel after the vehicle crashes. Safety belts can prevent these.

Handbook p. 81 ↗

Know the rule

Children under six need special child and infant restraints. Traffic accidents are the number one killer of children.

Handbook p. 82 ↗

Put it into practice

You're driving your 4-year-old niece who weighs 35 pounds. She has passed 1 year and 20 pounds but not 5 years or 40 pounds, so she must ride in a forward-facing convertible or forward-facing seat.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

Alabama's seat belt law requires which occupants to be restrained?
  1. Only front-seat occupants
  2. Only the driver
  3. Every occupant
  4. Only occupants under 18

Answer: Every occupant

Alabama's safety belt law requires that each occupant, regardless of age, be restrained.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
Up to what age does Alabama's child restraint law require children to be restrained in a vehicle?
  1. Through age 12
  2. Through age 18
  3. Through age 8
  4. Through age 15

Answer: Through age 15

Alabama's child restraint law requires children through age 15 to be restrained.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
An infant must ride in a rear-facing seat until reaching what age or weight?
  1. At least 1 year of age or 20 pounds
  2. At least 6 months or 15 pounds
  3. At least 2 years of age or 30 pounds
  4. At least 4 years of age or 40 pounds

Answer: At least 1 year of age or 20 pounds

An infant-only or convertible seat must be used rear-facing until the child is at least 1 year old or 20 pounds.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
A child may move to a forward-facing seat and stay there until reaching what age or weight?
  1. At least 8 years of age or 60 pounds
  2. At least 5 years of age or 40 pounds
  3. At least 3 years of age or 25 pounds
  4. At least 1 year of age or 20 pounds

Answer: At least 5 years of age or 40 pounds

A forward-facing convertible or forward-facing seat is used until the child is at least 5 years old or 40 pounds.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
Under Alabama's size-appropriate restraint schedule, a booster seat is required until what age?
  1. 8 years of age
  2. 10 years of age
  3. 6 years of age
  4. 4 years of age

Answer: 6 years of age

The handbook's schedule requires a booster seat until the child is 6 years of age, then a seat belt through age 15.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
Violating Alabama's child restraint law brings a fine only; no points are added to the violator's driving record.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

False. The handbook says violators of the child restraint law have points assessed against their driver record in addition to a fine.

Handbook p. 32 ↗
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