Is It legal To Ride In The Backseat Without A Seatbelt In Texas?
When it comes to driving I can admit that I enjoy being a passenger princess. The Texas roads are always too busy for me and I just feel like my place in the car is definitely either as a passenger or in the backseat.
CLICK OR TICKET IS A SERIOUS SITUATION!
Being the passenger means I don’t have to worry about missing exits, I’m not really watching the road as hard as the actual driver, and I can avoid triggering the road ragers on the highway.
I do get annoyed when I am playing the part of a Princess passenger, and the driver tells me to make sure I have my seatbelt on. I hear the term "click it or ticket" more than I need to. My rebuttal for the click it or ticket response has always been, "They will click it or ticket you, not me".
But according to The Department Of Transportation, all passengers have to wear seatbelts in Texas. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting in the backseat or if you’re riding shotgun up front - if you are in a moving car in Texas and you're not buckled up, you could pay for it.
WHEN IS IT OKAY NOT TO WEAR A SEATBELT?
The only way you can be exempt from not wearing a seatbelt is if you have a valid medical reason for exemption, and you'd better have proof from your physician on you.
WHAT'LL IT COST ME?
If you're not wearing your seatbelt, you could face a fine and court costs up to $200. If you have a kid in the car who's under 8 years of age or below 4'9", and they aren't properly secured in a car seat or booster seat, you can also face fines and court costs up to $250.
So yeah, that whole Click It or Ticket thing isn't a joke.