A 3-minute lesson from the Texas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Defensive drivers protect themselves and others from mistakes, their own and other people's. Safety belts are your best protection in a crash, and Texas requires them for every occupant, with child seats for young children.
To avoid crashes, a defensive driver should:
Stay alert and keep eyes moving to track what's happening at all times
Look for trouble spots developing all around
Have a plan of action
Know that the law requires drivers to protect each other from their own mistakes
There are no exemptions to the safety belt laws. There are defenses to prosecution for postal workers, newspaper deliverers, utility workers, solid waste truck workers, certain commercial farm vehicle operators, and medical reasons with a physician's note.
You're driving your 7-year-old nephew, who is 4 feet 10 inches tall. Because he's taller than 4'9", a regular safety belt is allowed instead of a car seat, but he must be belted, and as the driver you'd pay the fine if he isn't.
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.
Who is required to wear a safety belt in a Texas vehicle equipped with one?
Only the driver
Only front-seat occupants
Only passengers under 18
The driver and all passengers, regardless of age
Answer: The driver and all passengers, regardless of age
Everyone occupying a belt-equipped seat must wear a safety belt, regardless of age.
