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District of Columbia driving lesson · Speed, Safety Equipment & Work Zones

Seat belts, child seats & air bags

A 3-minute lesson from the District of Columbia 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
Speed, Safety Equipment & Work Zones
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
47, 48

Buckling up takes a few seconds and is your best protection in a crash, including against a drunk, tired or aggressive driver. After DC's 1997 law, seat belt use rose 24%.

Know the rule

The driver and all passengers must wear seat belts in passenger cars, trucks, tractors, multi-purpose vehicles and passenger buses. You may not drive unless you and every occupant are buckled.

Handbook p. 47 ↗

Know the rule

Police may stop a vehicle solely because the driver or passengers are not properly buckled up.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
$50 and 2 points

Penalty for not being properly buckled, front or back seat

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

The driver is responsible for seat belt compliance for all passengers.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

Exception: if a licensed physician certifies in writing that a person's physical disability or medical condition makes seat belt restraint inappropriate, the belt rule doesn't apply to that person. The certificate must state why and be carried in the vehicle.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
Under 3 years

Child must be secured in a child safety seat in the back seat

Handbook p. 48 ↗

To get the most from air bags:

  • Always wear both lap and shoulder belts, even with air bags
  • Pregnant women: lap belt under the abdomen, low on the hips and across the upper thighs
  • Sit as far from the wheel as practical: 10-12 inches from wheel hub to chest
  • Children age 12 and under ride buckled up in a rear seat, in a seat or belt fit for age and size
  • Infants never ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag
Handbook p. 48 ↗

Know the rule

Most air bags are designed to inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal crash.

Handbook p. 48 ↗

Consider an air bag on-off switch if you:

  • Must carry an infant in a rear-facing seat in the front passenger seat
  • Must carry children under 12 in the front passenger seat
  • Can't keep 10 inches between the center of the steering wheel and your breastbone
  • Have a doctor who says the air bag poses a special risk given your medical condition
Handbook p. 48 ↗

Put it into practice

You're driving with your 2-year-old nephew and a 10-year-old friend in the back. The 2-year-old must be in a child safety seat in the back seat. Both must be buckled, and as the driver you are responsible for making sure they are.

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.

What is the penalty in DC for not having your seat belt properly buckled?
  1. $25 and 1 point
  2. $50 and 2 points
  3. $100 and 3 points
  4. No fine, only a warning

Answer: $50 and 2 points

The penalty for an improperly buckled seat belt in DC is a $50 fine and 2 points.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
Who is responsible for seat belt compliance of all passengers in a DC vehicle?
  1. Only each individual passenger
  2. The vehicle owner, if different from the driver
  3. The driver
  4. Only passengers over age 18

Answer: The driver

Drivers are responsible for seat belt compliance for all passengers in the vehicle.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
Under what circumstance can DC's seat belt requirement be waived for a person?
  1. The person rides in the back seat
  2. It's waived for short trips close to home
  3. It's waived for anyone over age 65
  4. A doctor certifies a physical disability

Answer: A doctor certifies a physical disability

A written physician's certificate documenting a physical disability is required to waive the seat belt requirement.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
What is the minimum age below which a child must be secured in a child safety seat in the back seat of a DC vehicle?
  1. Under 3 years of age
  2. Under 1 year of age
  3. Under 5 years of age
  4. Under 8 years of age

Answer: Under 3 years of age

Children under 3 years old must be properly secured in a child safety seat in the back seat.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
How far should a driver try to sit from the steering wheel hub to maximize air bag safety?
  1. About 6 inches
  2. At least 24 inches
  3. 10-12 inches
  4. About 18 inches

Answer: 10-12 inches

Drivers should try to maintain about 10-12 inches between the steering wheel hub and their chest.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
Where should infants never ride, according to the air bag safety guidance?
  1. In any rear-facing seat
  2. In the middle rear seat
  3. In a properly installed rear seat
  4. The front seat, with a passenger air bag

Answer: The front seat, with a passenger air bag

Infants should never ride in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger-side air bag.

Handbook p. 48 ↗
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