Texas and the Primary Belt Law

In some states, individuals cannot be punished for failing to put on a seat belt. Yet this is not true in every situation. In some states, individuals can be fined for failing to buckle up when they get on the road. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that there is some sort of mandatory seat belt law in every single state except for New Hampshire. Yet only 28 states permit police officers to find a person for failing to buckle up in the back seat.

Belt laws in 33 states and the District of Columbia are called primary seat belt laws. This means that a police officer is permitted to pull a driver over solely based on the fact that that individual is not wearing a seat belt. In other jurisdictions, the police need to stop the vehicle for another reason, such as speeding or an expired license, before they can discuss the issue of the seat belt and impose a fine.

If you are caught without a seat belt and want to contest the violation, then you can contact a local criminal defense lawyer to help you. You may think that it is over-dramatic to hire a criminal defense attorney to help you with something as simple as a traffic infraction, but there are times that this investment can save you a lot of money and possible license revocation.

When you are slapped with another traffic violation, your insurance could go up, and you may be forced to cope without a license for a set amount of time. You can attempt to avoid these penalties by discussing your case with an attorney at our Houston criminal defense firm today. Hire a lawyer at The Martinez Law Firm and work hard to fight the prosecution and avoid a sentence that could cause difficulty in your life!