What Is the Wyoming Seat Belt Law?

Wyoming seat belt use is among the nation's lowest.

The Wyoming Seat Belt Coalition (WYSBC) estimates the economic impact of traffic crashes on the state in 2007 was $441 million. Seat belts, the coalition notes, reduce serious injury by 45 to 50 percent in cars and 60 percent in pickups, minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). As of 2008, Wyoming is among the least successful states in the nation in getting its citizens to buckle up.

Seat Belt Law

Wyoming law requires all passengers 9 years old and older to wear a seat belt while driving or riding in a moving motor vehicle. Children under 8 are covered by the state's child-restraint laws. Drivers of motor vehicles in Wyoming must require children under 12 to buckle up when a vehicle is moving on a public street or highway.

Secondary Enforcement

Wyoming's seat belt law falls under secondary enforcement. As a secondary violation, law enforcement officials may not stop a vehicle solely for a seat belt offense. In order to give a seat belt citation, the vehicle must have been stopped for another traffic offense. Under primary enforcement, officers are able to stop a vehicle for the purpose of handing out a seat belt ticket. As National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows, states with primary enforcement seat belt laws tend to have higher rates of seat belt use.

Penalty

Drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), are subject to a $25 fine for violating Wyoming's seat belt law. Passengers pay no more than $10 for an offense. Under Wyoming law, if you are stopped for another traffic violation and are wearing your seat belt, the fine for the original offense can be reduced by $10 as of March 2010. Democratic State Sen. Mike Massie of Wyoming told the "Cowboy State Free Press" that Wyoming could save an estimated $800,000 by dropping this provision. Massie questions whether it actually encourages people to buckle up.

Exemptions

You are exempt from Wyoming's seat belt law if you can produce proof from your doctor that medical reasons preclude you from wearing a seat belt. Postal Service workers carrying out their mail delivery duties are also exempt. People traveling in vehicles not equipped with seat belts--such as buses--are exempt by federal law. Also exempt are people traveling in a vehicle originally produced without a seat belt or in a vehicle in which all available seat belts are being used by others.

Usage Rates

NHTSA notes that Wyoming's seat belt usage rate in 2008 stood at 68.6 percent, a 3.6 percent drop from 2007. Only Massachusetts had a lower rate in 2008. The national average was 83 percent. IIHS gives Wyoming a rating of "marginal" for its seat belt laws. This ranks below "good" and "fair" but above the bottom level of "poor." Attempts in January 2010 by some lawmakers to toughen Wyoming's seat belt laws failed. Wyoming's "Star-Tribune" reports that a bill was defeated that would have hiked the seat belt violation fine to $75.

References

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS): Wyoming Laws and Regulations Summary
• Wyoming Legislative Service Office: Article 14, Safety Belt Usage
• Wyoming Seat Belt Coalition (WYSBC): Wyoming Facts
• "Cowboy State Free Press: Wyo Transportation Director: State Needs Primary Seat Belt Law"
• "Star-Tribune: Seat Belt Bill Dies"

Resources

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Seat Belt Use in 2008