Texarkana Arkansas Police To Step Up Seat Belt Enforcement

The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department along with other law enforcement agencies across the country will step up their seat belt enforcement from now until June 6.

Seat belts have been in cars for as long as I can remember and right now local law enforcement agencies including those in Texarkana are doing their part to make sure we are all wearing our seatbelts.

In 2019 seatbelt use in the United States was at 90.7 percent. This is a pretty good number but that means that there are 9.7 percent of people still do not wear a seatbelt. Did you know that wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death in a car accident by 45 percent?

Here are the current seatbelt laws in Texas.

In Texas, the law requires everyone in a vehicle to buckle up or face fines and court costs up to $200. Children younger than 8 years must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they’re taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If they aren’t properly restrained, the driver faces fines up to $250, plus court costs.

In Arkansas here are the specifics.

All children under 15 years of age must be buckled no matter where they are in the vehicle. The Primary Seat Belt Law requires drivers and front-seat passengers to be buckled up at all times.

Regardless of which side of town you live on please make sure and wear your seatbelt. Make it a habit, especially with your kids. It is an easy habit to start them on now. A seatbelt saved my life many years ago and we always make sure we do not even move until everyone is buckled in.